We are Mates
by Hairann
Summary: Just when Kagome thought the worst was behind them, she discovers their fate has only begun. Now more than ever before, Kagome must lead her pack into the next stage. Won joint 3rd best Kagome portrayal, Dokuga awards 2nd Q 2010! Complete!
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all of its characters are property of the brilliant Takahashi-sama and I claim no ownership of them.

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AN: Welcome to the third and final book for the Alpha Pack Mates series, We are Mates. Unlike with They are Pack, We are Mates picks up right where the last story left off. I will post a recap below in case any of you readers haven't read the other two in a while and want to go over things again.

***

Recap for I am Alpha...

After Kagome's father escaped from jail and killed her okaa-san and jii-chan, she brought Souta back to the past with Inuyasha's rosary. Inuyasha announced he would be taking Kikyou as his mate soon. The group, along with Sesshoumaru and Kouga, destroyed Naraku by Kagome re-shattering the jewel. After the battle, she let Kagura and Kanna go since Kagura had let her pass with Rin during the battle. As they are traveling to recollect the jewel, they learn Sesshoumaru has been cursed to become human and ended up joining the group to protect Rin.

They meet a sorceress named Aki that can turn him back into a demon and start to gather the items he needs. Kouga shows up, still trying to get Kagome to be his mate and Ayame gets tired of waiting around for him and heads back to her den. Miroku officially proposes to Sango, who now has Kohaku back minus the memories of everything he did. Sesshoumaru and Kagome kiss at the hot springs but she stops it since she doesn't think it was right while he was human.

The group has a lot of problems with Kikyou trying to take charge and getting rid of Kagome but she finally starts trying to be a part of the group and Kagome ends up giving her the shards to hold onto. After gathering all the ingredients Sesshoumaru needs, he heads off to Aki to turn back into a demon and ends up being told of a problem needing him in the West. As he leaves the group, Sesshoumaru says 'an inu always returns to his pack'.

***

Recap for They are Pack...

Six months after the end of Alpha, Sesshoumaru returns and the others learn of his son Daichi, who had been running from him, sure he was going to kill him. Though Daichi seems to get along with the boys alright, he refuses to have anything to do with Sesshoumaru and even refuses to play with Rin. Kagome tells him to give Daichi sometime to come to terms with the fact that Sesshoumaru killed his mother in self defense.

After they completed the jewel, they decide to hold onto since none of them can come up with a selfless wish and end up building a small village for themselves around the well. While trying to figure out what to do the jewel, Sango and Miroku end up getting married. And after Kagome gives Kikyou a potion that makes her truly alive again with a full soul, Kikyou and Inuyasha end up mating.

Sesshoumaru asks Kagome if she meant what she said back in the hot springs and after she tells him yes, he ends up kissing her. After a few confusing conversations with the other group members and Sesshoumaru, Kagome finally understands where their relationship is going and explains to him that he will have to explain things to her in the future because she isn't going to understand them if he doesn't.

After making sure to get everything from the future they may want, and saying goodbye to her aunt, Kagome hands the complete jewel over to Kikyou to make the wish after she said she had the perfect one. To soft for the humans to hear it, Kikyou says '"I wish that Kagome is able to find the happiness she has helped others to find."'.

***

Prologue

Though she had been unable to hear her wish, Kagome knew the moment she made it. The feeling of the jewel returning to her body after so many years of being absent, while indescribable, it was unmistakable to her. She felt no fear as the power from the jewel began to fill her body making Kagome feel...truthfully there is no real emotion to describe what she was feeling. She simply felt pink. How one feels pink, she hadn't the foggiest, but that is the only way she could explain the feeling. Just pink.

But the feeling didn't last long and soon enough the power had reclaimed its position with in her body, leaving her to feel nauseous. Deciding to not worry the others simply because her body was slightly overworked at the moment, Kagome stood and turned to begin making her way inside, an excuse of being tired on her tongue. But before Kagome had the chance to utter a sound, the world began to spin around her and she felt herself becoming dizzy at the sensation.

The others watched as Kagome began to fall to the ground and Sesshoumaru, being the first to his feet, rushed over to catch her only to growl in pain as the contact with her skin burned his hands. Gasps from the group went unnoticed by him as his eyes began to bleed red and his face began to elongate. Feeling the all too familiar transformation beginning to take over, Sesshoumaru shook his head as he tried to regain control of himself. Gritting his teeth and taking a deep breath, he could feel the beast within him settle and moved to reach for the fallen Kagome once again.

"Do not touch her!" Kikyou shouted as she jumped to her feet and raced over to where Kagome's prone body lay on the ground. "She's radiating holy power. You'll only be burned," Kikyou warned him as she glanced over her shoulder at him before turning her attention back to the unconscious girl at her feet. "Oh no," she whispered to herself as her eyes grew wide as she realized what was going on. "Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha, take everyone with demon blood and get away now. Get as far away as you can," she instructed them as she turned back toward the group with worried eyes.

"Do not waste time on humans, we will be fine," she continued as she saw Sesshoumaru reaching for Rin. "Leave now, before it is too late." she pleaded seeing that all of the demons were standing around Sesshoumaru. Still unsure of what was happening, Sesshoumaru summoned his orb around them and flew off into the surrounding woods. Kikyou watched until they were out of sight before breathing a sigh of relief.

"What is going on, Lady Kikyou?" Miroku questioned as he made his way over to where she was kneeling over Kagome. As he glanced down at the motionless form of his long time friend, he couldn't help but be in awe over the massive amount of power he could already feel beginning to roll off of her. Hearing Kikyou begin to speak, Miroku glanced over, returning his attention to her.

"It's a holy nova," Kikyou explained as she turned toward him with worry filled eyes. Miroku's eyes widen at her words as he turned his attention back to the girl at their feet, leaving the others, that remained, confused at her words. The other humans stared in shock, their eyes following the conversation as they glanced back and forth between Kikyou and Miroku as they spoke. Having no idea what a holy nova was or what it might do to their friend, they each turned worry filled looks at the unconscious girl.

***

Not having a clear destination in mind, Sesshoumaru traveled at speeds that were impossible for human eyes to follow, though with the extra passengers it was noticeably slower than his orb usually traveled. He weaved in between the dense forestry, worried that changing his coarse to bring them above the tree tops would simply waste valuable time they could not spare. And he was not sure he could keep control of the orb with the extra burden placed upon his powers.

Feeling his power beginning to wane, Sesshoumaru lowered the orb to the ground and allowed it to dissipate. It was only a split second after they had been discarded on the ground, that the group turned back toward the direction they had come in unison, a growl rising up from deep within them. They could all feel the power shifting within the air causing the hair on the back of their necks to stand up.

A moment later, a large blast of pink light filled the night sky, the wave of power emanating from it rolling over them, tingling against their skin, causing the instinctual beasts within them to try and rise to the surface. When the second blast hit, their eyes began to bleed red, illuminating the forest around them in a maroon hue.

The third blast triggered their heavy panting as they fought to keep control over themselves and their powers. The surrounding forest was silent and still save for their breathing and had anyone been around to see it, stories of ghastly apparitions would have spread like wild fire through the nearby villages.

The forth blast had them howling in protest against the holy powers that continued to flow over them, their own powers crackling against it as they rose to the surface to fight off the intrusion. And by the time the fifth and final blast had hit the sky, Sesshoumaru's face began to elongate once again as the war between the two powers caused the transformation to begin.

His human half barely in existence at the moment, Inuyasha used what little control he had left to grab onto the hilt of his sword with all of his strength. The metal creaked in protest to the added strain, but he continued to hold onto it so tightly that his claws dug deep gouges into his palm. As the pain registered in his mind, the fog began to give way, allowing him to regain a small amount of control.

Hearing the only sound to ever haunt his dreams, Inuyasha glanced to the side to find his half-brother in midst of transforming. Already he could see the pure white fur begin to cover his body as he began to grow in size. Knowing of nothing else to do to stop the process, Inuyasha grabbed a hold of his brother's arm, while keeping the other still on his sword. Squeezing with everything that he had, Inuyasha dug his claws deep into his flesh, causing deep red blood to stain the sleeve around it.

Sesshoumaru turned toward him with an ear piercing growl, a clear warning to let go, but Inuyasha chose to ignore it. "Fight it, Sesshoumaru. If you lose control, nothing will be able to stop you from destroying anything in your path, including our pack," Inuyasha warned him in a dark, husky voice, a good indication that he was not entirely in control of himself.

Hearing the word 'pack' Sesshoumaru glanced back and forth between Inuyasha and the direction the power was coming from. Half of his mind screamed to destroy the threat while the other half screamed to protect his pack. Unsure of which instinct to follow, Sesshoumaru let off a low whine, the sound of his own voice startling him and helping him to regain the slightest amount of control over himself.

"Do not release your hold," Sesshoumaru warned in a rasping snarl as he felt Inuyasha's hold begin to weaken. "The pain is what is keeping me grounded," Sesshoumaru explained in between pants, afraid if he let go, there would be nothing keeping him here and stopping him from slaughtering what was causing the holy power in the air.

"Just hurry up and regain control, I am barely keeping myself grounded, let alone you. At least their instincts tell them not to attack something so powerful," Inuyasha commented in a hoarse bay, his voice switching from that of his normal pitch to that of his full-demon form. Sesshoumaru followed his gaze the best he could and found the pups nearby, growling at the power, but making no move to go near it. As young as they are, their instincts would tell them that they could not fight it and to stay in the protection of those that could.

The only one seeming to have little problem controlling himself was Jaken. Since he was not a predator demon, his instincts simply told him to run and hide. As it was he managed to keep himself between the pups and the direction the power came from, but was able to do little else. Even still, Sesshoumaru found himself impressed with the toad demon's courage. Hearing a deep breath being drawn in beside him, Sesshoumaru glanced down at his half-brother to find the red was already beginning to recede from his eyes.

Understanding dawn on him when he felt the holy power in the air was weakening and he felt his own control returning. Once again in control of himself, Shippo moved to rush back toward the others, only to be stopped by Inuyasha. "It is not safe yet. The holy power that still hangs in the air will kill you if you get too close to the point of origin.

"Do not worry for Kagome, Shippo, her holy powers will not hurt her or the other humans. Kikyou wouldn't have allowed them to stay if they were in any danger. Just be patient," Inuyasha instructed, finding it hard to follow his own advice and judging by the way Sesshoumaru's fingers twitch, he guessed he was having a difficult time as well.

***

As she felt consciousness returning to her, Kagome mentally cursed the pounding headache that was making its presence known. Unsure of what was going on, as she did not remember having gone to sleep, Kagome fought against the strain on her body, trying to awaken herself completely. She felt something wet being laid across her forehead and knew it meant someone was next to her. Finding herself even more confused that she had already been, she sought to find the answers to her unvoiced questions. "What's going on?" she managed to grumble with a husky voice that sounded worn and tired to her own ears.

"You're awake," a soft voice commented and after a moment, she was able to recognize the voice as belonging to Kikyou. Fighting against the fog that had settled in her mind, Kagome felt herself yawn and heard Kikyou laugh next to her. Though she still had no idea what was going on, due to the soft bedding she was laying on, she could conclude that she was in her room on her futon. The wet sensation on her forehead, she soon decided was most likely a wet towel. How or why she was there, she could not figure out and decided it was time to get some answers.

Opening her eyes, Kagome moved to sit up only to have Kikyou stop her. "You need more rest. Just lay back and take it easy for a while," she told her as she forced Kagome to lay back down and replaced the cloth on her head. "You had an over load of power due to the jewel returning to you. You are fine, as is everyone else, but your body took a heavy strain and you need to get your strength back before you try to do anything. Though they can not stay long, you have some visitors who have been wondering how you were doing," Kikyou explained as she stood and gestured toward the doorway.

Kagome glanced over just in time to watch as a swarm of children came rushing toward her, each one voicing a dozen questions that she did not know the answers to. Kikyou smiled at the scene before making her way out of the room, leaving Kagome to try and answer the children all at once. "One question at a time," she finally told them as they all gathered around her on the small futon.

"Are you okay?" Souta inquired and the others nodded, apparently having decided it was the best question to start with. Nodding, Kagome gave them a smile of reassurance. As she listened to the next question, she glanced up to find Sesshoumaru standing in the doorway. Smiling gently at him to let him know she was fine, Kagome turned her attention back to the children, answering the question as best she could.

***

As Kikyou exited the hut, she could feel over a dozen eyes following her every move and with a sigh, resigned herself for what she knew was about to come. Making her way over to the campfire, where the others were waiting, she took her usual seat next to Inuyasha. The moment she was seated, the bombardment of questions began. "Is Kagome-chan okay?" Sango inquired, being the first to get a question off.

"She's not giving off holy power anymore is she?" Inuyasha questioned, not bothering to give Kikyou enough time to answer Sango's question.

"Will there be any lasting damage?" Jaken was next to voice his worries only to be spoken over by Miroku as he wondered whether or not it was safe for the demon blooded children to be near her for a long period of time.

"Kagome is fine. Her powers are back to normal and as holy powers can not hurt a miko, there will be no lasting damage. She will merely be worn out for a few days. Since she is no longer giving off powers as she was earlier, the demon children are in no danger. What happened will not be happening again," Kikyou assured them as she glanced up to find Sesshoumaru joining them. Figuring he couldn't get close to Kagome with all of the children around her, Kikyou gave him a slight understanding smile before her attention was drawn back by Inuyasha speaking.

"What exactly did happen? My knowledge of holy powers may be limited, but even I know something like that wasn't supposed to happen," Inuyasha insisted and Sango nodded her head in agreement.

"During the years that the jewel was in her body, Kagome's powers were constantly seeping into it to keep it pure, draining a good portion of her powers. When the jewel was ripped from her body, the power remained inside and every time she purified another shard, more of her power was added. Then when the wish was made all of that power returned to her at once and caused her body to overload, so to speak."

"Why did you not warn of this before hand? We were lucky no one was seriously hurt," Sango pointed out as she gestured to the already healing wounds on Inuyasha's hand and Sesshoumaru's arm.

"I had no way of knowing something like this could even happen. I only understood what is was after the Holy Nova. And as it is, I have only heard of one other person who has ever experienced one and that was Midoriko," Kikyou explained hoping they understood that she wouldn't have kept it to herself if she had known this would happen before hand.

"Then how are you sure this is the real reason it happened, Lady Kikyou? If something else was the cause, there is no way to know if and when it might happen again," Miroku pointed out, worried not only for Kagome's safety but for the demons in the group as well.

"I am sure. I felt my own powers return to me after I made the wish. It was her powers returning that caused it. You can rest assured that this will not be happening again as the jewel can no longer be removed from her," Kikyou assured them with a smile.


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all of its characters are property of the brilliant Takahashi-sama and I claim no ownership of them.

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AN: I have decided to start a new game with this story, it's called 'What story is this line from?' and pretty self explanatory. I will post a line from one of my stories, first person to guess correctly on Dokuga and FF, the chapter will be dedicated to.

I'll start with an easy one that also happens to be one of my favorite lines...'"Everything starts out with a rough draft."'

Happy reading.

***

Chapter 1

Being awoken by the soft chirping of the birds outside, Kagome yawned in the cool morning air as she tried to stretch out the kinks her body had developed during the night, only to find herself unable to move. Confused, she tried to will away the sleep that still lingered in her mind as she opened her eyes and waited for them to adjust to the dimly lit room. After a few moments, they did just that and she was able to discover the reason she had been unable to get up.

Her arms and legs were being held onto by the children, whom she could vaguely remember crawling onto the futon with her the night before, their tight grips unfazed by their sleeping state. Smiling at the softly, Kagome began to untangle herself slowly, careful not to wake them, before finally rising from the futon and silently dressing with only the light of the dawning morning to see by. Taking one last look at the children to make sure she did not wake them, Kagome turned and began making her way out of the room.

As she passed through the family room, Kagome found Sesshoumaru sitting in his usual spot and knowing he would not be asleep, she gave him a quick smile before opening the door and facing the chilly morning air. Drawing in a deep breath, ever thankful to no longer have to deal with car exhaust and other pollutions filling the air, Kagome began making her way over to the long cold fire pit. Making a quick stop at the wood pile, she grabbed what she would be needing and quickly set about getting the fire going once again.

Once the roaring fire was billowing tiny puffs of dark smoke toward the ever brightening sky, she warmed her chilled hands and set about making breakfast for everyone. Soon enough it was cooking over the open fire and Kagome took a seat next to it to keep warm. Staring into the prismatic flames, feeling as though the world disappeared around her, she allowed herself to become enchanted by the dancing flickers of light.

So lost in the mesmerizing flames, Kagome did not noticed herself being joined by another's presence until a hand was placed on her shoulder, startling her out of her trance. Glancing over her shoulder, Kagome found Inuyasha staring down at me, concern etched on his features. "Good morning, Inuyasha," she greeted with a smile, hoping to relieve him of his worries. "What brings you out here so early?"

"Smelled the fire," he explained as he gestured toward it before seating himself next to her and warming his clawed hands over the fire as she had done earlier. "Figured you might be out here and wanted to come check on you. You sure you should be up already?" he questioned as he turned toward her, the look on his face clearly saying he did not believe she should be.

"I'm fine, onii-san. I can not stand to be cooped up in my hut for another moment. The room is small enough without every child in our pack deciding to sleep on my futon. I needed to come out to stretch my legs anyways and figured I would make breakfast while I was out here. You can rest assured that I will not do anything strenuous, so you don't have to worry so much about me. But while I've got you here, would you mind gathering some more fire wood? The pile is almost empty," she told him as she gestured toward the dwindling pile.

"Feh," he replied after a moment of seemingly checking her over to make sure Kagome's assurances to her wellbeing were correct. Knowing that was as close to a 'yes' as she was going to get from him, Kagome gave Inuyasha a bright smile and stood, turning her attention back to breakfast. "I'll be back soon," he informed her as he too rose and began making his way toward the surrounding forest.

"Thanks," she called after him in barely above a whisper, knowing he would hear it without risking waking the others. Once breakfast had been tended to, Kagome stretched her arms above her head as another yawn overtook her. Feeling her hand come in contact with something hard, when there should have been nothing behind her, Kagome glanced over her shoulder to find Sesshoumaru staring down at her. Smiling, she turned to face him, reaching up to lightly kiss his warm cheek.

Before she could bid him a good morning, his hands had moved to her cheeks and he leaned down to lightly brush his lips against her own. Kagome gazed up into his golden eyes only to find concern shining within them. "I am fine, Sesshoumaru, you need not worry. I assure you that what happened will not be happening again."

"This or something else, you must be more careful. There are too many counting on you and would be lost if something were to happen to you," he told her as he rested his forehead against her own, inhaling deeply. Years of being around Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru had taught her that he was breathing in her scent, apparently the quickest way to calm an dog demon.

"Trust me, Sesshoumaru, I am fine just as those counting on me would be if anything were to happen to me. As long as they have you, they will have an alpha to guide and protect them. Long after I am gone, our pack will still have you," she assured him as she mimicked his actions by breathing in his scent, feeling it relax her mind and body.

"And if I am one of those counting on you?" he inquired softly without breaking the contact between them. Kagome couldn't help but appreciate the long way he had come since the first time they had met, glaring across at each other from opposite sides of the battlefield. He seemed almost human to her, being able to admit something that personal, even if it was only to her.

Smiling, Kagome placed her hands on Sesshoumaru's cheeks, stood on her tip toes, and gently kissed him while holding his gaze with her own. "You will be fine too," she assured him and seeing he was about to object, she placed her finger upon his lips to silence him. "You will be fine, Sesshoumaru, because you also have too many people depending on you and would have to be."

Silently he placed one of his larger hands over hers, running his fingers, of his other, through her unbraided hair. As she watched him in silence, he took another deep breath before finally nodding and leaning down to kiss her once again. As they both moved to deepen the kiss, they were interrupted by a throat being cleared behind her. Slightly annoyed, Kagome glared over her shoulder to find Inuyasha had returned with an armful of firewood.

"The pups will be up soon. And you're gonna burn breakfast if you keep ignoring it, imouto-chan," Inuyasha told her as he gestured toward the all but forgotten food before making his way over to the wood pile. Giving Sesshoumaru once last smile, Kagome turned back to the fire, bringing her attention back to tending to breakfast.

***

Breakfast had just been passed out and everyone was sitting around the fire eating, talking quietly with each other, when the canine demons in the group all turned their noses to the air and began sniffing. Quick to act as usual, Inuyasha went to reach for his fang only to be stopped by Sesshoumaru shaking his head. Apparently whoever they had smelled incoming was known to him and not considered to be a threat.

Inuyasha turned toward Kagome in question, but she shrugged in a response, having no more idea what was going on than he did. There were a few moments of tense silence before a figure finally appeared, startling them when the empty space was suddenly filled in the blink of an eye. "Report," Sesshoumaru instructed the demon before him. As Kagome waited for him to speak, she took a quick glance over his features. Long, dark hair and canine fangs reminded her of Kouga's wolf tribe, though she doubled Sesshoumaru would be willing to deal with wolves, if he was anything like his brother anyway.

"A war will soon be upon the West, Sesshoumaru-sama," the demon informed him, a slight growl echoing in his voice, reinforcing Kagome's belief in his canine blood. She figured that perhaps like Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha he was a member of the dog family, just not the great, white breed that they belonged to. Sesshoumaru stared at him for a few moments, though he seemed to not really be focused on him, before finally turning to Inuyasha.

"Come," he instructed before rising to his feet, and gesturing for the demon to follow him, as he began making his way out into the surrounding forest. Inuyasha mimicked his actions as he gestured for Miroku to tag along and took off in the same direction as the others, leaving the rest of the group members to stare after them in wonder.

"Anyone else have a bad feeling about this like I do?" Sango questioned as she glanced from Kikyou to Kagome. Knowing where the conversation was going to lead, Kagome glanced over at Jaken, gesturing toward the children, once she had his attention. Understanding her meaning, he nodded before gathering the pups, whom had finished eating during the exchange, and began leading them away from the fire to play.

"Aye, though I wish I knew what was going on," Kikyou replied as she kept her eyes trained on the tree line, though she could no longer see them. Kagome followed her line of sight of a few moments before finally sighing and turning back to the fire, setting her unfinished and forgotten plate aside.

"There's really only one option. This has to be a movement by Daichi's grandfather. With the timing of this, I do not believe that it is a coincidence," Kagome told them as Kikyou finally turned her attention back to her and Sango, as she too set her plate side. Seeing the other two had given up on eating and sharing their sentiments, Sango set her breakfast on the ground next to her, its half-eaten food no longer appealing to her.

"If so, what happens now?" Kikyou questioned as she gestured toward the trees the guys had disappeared into. The worried expression she wore, more than likely, an exact replica of the one Kagome knew she had to be sporting herself. Sango nodded her head in agreement, deciding to remain silent as Kikyou was already voicing the questions that were running through her mind.

"At the very least, Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha will probably have to go to war to protect their land. If it wasn't going to end with that outcome, there would be no reason for Sesshoumaru to have the conversation else where. Looks like the peaceful days we were hoping for after the end of the jewel are ending already," Kagome uttered with a long sigh.

***

Deciding they had moved far enough away from their village, Sesshoumaru finally stopped and turned back to the messenger demon. "Continue," he instructed as he gracefully lowered himself to the ground, resting against the large tree behind him. Nearby he could see Inuyasha and Miroku doing the same, abet less gracefully, as they waited for the demon to speak.

"The heir's grandfather has accused you of stealing his grandson. He has been telling whoever will listen to him that Sesshoumaru-sama taking his only heir was an act of war. Some of the others have been sympathizing with him because of the death of his daughter. And with Sesshoumaru-sama taking off so quickly after, some in your own army believe it shows your guilt. We've already had some deflect."

Sesshoumaru remained silent for a few tense moments before finally turning his attention back to the demon. "How long before they breach the inner lands?" he probed, already knowing that his home would be where the other demon was heading, no doubt intending to attack him directly.

"Perhaps a week, Sesshoumaru-sama," the demon replied and after receiving a dismissal from Sesshoumaru, he bowed and disappeared back into the surrounding forest. Sesshoumaru remained silent for a few moments after the demon was gone, mulling over the information he had just received and trying to decide his best course of action.

"I'm confused, Sesshoumaru, how can he start a war against you for taking your own son?" Inuyasha demanded thoroughly confused by what he had just heard. Miroku nodded his head in agreement to Inuyasha's question, finding himself equally confused as to how that could lead to a war breaking out.

"You will remember, Inuyasha, that when I first returned I mentioned keeping his existence a secret to protect him. No one out side of our pack, other than his grandfather and that demon, even know he's my son. It merely looks like I slaughtered his daughter and stole her son without cause. And while I could clear this entire mess up by explaining who he is, it would only put his life in grave danger.

"It will be far safer to just go to war with him. I will be leaving in the morning," he informed them as he rose and turned toward them fully. Already knowing what their responses would be, Sesshoumaru simply waited patiently for Inuyasha and Miroku to voice them.

"I'll be going with you," Inuyasha insisted, not about to take no for an answer, as he thrust his clawed hands into the sleeves of his haori and gave his half-brother a slight glare, almost as if he was daring him to try and tell him he couldn't.

"I as well, provided you do not mind, of course," Miroku told him with a slight nod of his head in respect. He had learned, not long after Sesshoumaru had first joined them, that the demon lord responded a lot better to respect than to demands and as someone with no connections to the West, he knew he could not just insist on going as Inuyasha had done.

"I had thought as much, however, the women will be staying here. Warriors or not, this battlefield will be no place for them," Sesshoumaru insisted, leaving no room for argument, even though neither of them intended to disagree with him in the first place.

"I agree with you, but I kinda doubt the women will. Have fun telling them," Inuyasha called over his shoulder with a laugh as he turned and began making his way back to the village, wanting to have a front row seat for the battle he knew was about to come. He thought about feeling sorry for Sesshoumaru only to dismiss the idea a moment later, this promised to be far too entertaining to give his half-brother any help.

***

Three sets of eyes were trained on the guys the moment they reappeared from the forest. Kagome, Sango and Kikyou watched in silence as they made their way over to sit down with them by the fire. You could almost hear the questions wanting to be asked as they held their breath and waited for Sesshoumaru to speak. Finally after lingering silent for a few tense moments, he turned his attention to Kagome and began to speak. "Daichi's grandfather has declared war on the West and we will be going to defend it," he informed her as he gestured to Inuyasha, Miroku and himself.

"I am going too," Sango and Kikyou insisted in unison and in the quickly sombering atmosphere, the usually funny moment went unnoticed. Kagome found herself wanting to agree, but held her tongue as she had noticed he had pointedly not gestured to anyone besides the three guys that he had allowed to accompany him to hear the message in the first place.

"No," he commanded, believing it left no room for argument, but seeing as they seemed about ready to just that, he continued, "During a demon war, if you happen to be captured you will face a fate far worse than death." His icy tone was enough to chill them, even if it did not stop them from disagreeing with him.

"We can take care of ourselves. We are not children. We have trained our entire lives in the art of battling demons," Kikyou countered as she turned her attention to Inuyasha, apparently deciding she would have better luck trying to persuade him rather than his half-brother.

"We will not be up against your average, every day demon. It is likely that there will be at least one other Taiyoukai there, if not more. In a demon war, it is nothing but a large, free for all fight, leaving you to rely on our instincts to tell friend from foe. Instincts, that as a human, are not strong enough to serve you well in this kind of battle," Sesshoumaru told her, without a single shred of criticism in his voice.

Apparently having decided that she wasn't going to get anywhere by asking the guys, Sango turned her attention to Kagome with a pleading look for her help. Figuring Sango thought she would want to go as well, Kagome was unsurprised when she appeared shocked when she didn't respond as Sango had expected. "It is too dangerous. I have seen the horrors women can face when over powered by uncontrollable men and I will not take the chance with either of my pack sisters. Besides, I will need your help here if by chance the fighting makes it this far," Kagome told them before turning her attention to Miroku before either of the girls had the chance to respond.

"Miroku, make sure you keep your mind on the battle and not some skirt that happens to be there fighting, no matter which side she is on," Kagome instructed and giving him no chance to respond either, she turned to Inuyasha as she continued. "Do not run into the battle without thinking and listen to what Sesshoumaru tells you. Whether you believe it or not, he does have more experience than you and there will be wisdom in his words," she told him before moving on to her final target, once again leaving no time for a reply.

"You are to remember to accept their help when offered and ask for it when it is needed. You are not going into this battle alone and asking for help from your allies will make you no less of a man." Having said this, Kagome turned her attention to all three of them, sporting, what she hoped to be, her sternest expression. "You three will be leaving here in one piece and your only options are to return the same way or to return the same way.

"This war will not take the life of even a single member of my pack. If you all do not come back exactly as you leave, you will wish you stayed on the battlefield when I am done with you," she warned them, fixing each one with an immoveable stare. Ending at Sesshoumaru, she continued, "When do you plan on leaving?"

"In the morning," he replied, the slightest of appreciative smiles adorning his pale face. After a moment, Kagome nodded in response to him before turning her attention back to the girls. She could easily tell they were not happy with her being against them, but there would be plenty of time to waste arguing later. Now was not the time.

"Spend time with your mate and husband, I will watch the children," she told the girls, watching as Inuyasha and Miroku nodded to her in their stead before rising. Taking their spouses hands, they headed away from the fire, disappearing into the surrounding forest. Once they were no longer within sight, Kagome allowed herself to find strength in Sesshoumaru by resting her head against his shoulder, breathing a long sigh. "I do wish I could go with you, but I understand the reason you did not want any of us girls to be there," she admitted to him quietly.

Instead of answering, Sesshoumaru leaned over toward her and she could hear him inhaling her scent. Knowing it was probably what he needed most at that moment, she remained silent until he had finished and drew himself back. Glancing up at him from where her head rested against him, Kagome pleaded, "Promise me you'll return our pack members home safely."

"You have my word, Kagome," he promised before leaning down and gently pressing his lips against hers. As she began to let go, losing herself in the kiss, Kagome could hear the kids making their way over to them and broke it off with a smile directed at him. He gave her the slightest of nods in response to her before they turned their attention to the children, whom were inquiring about what was going on.


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all of its characters are property of the brilliant Takahashi-sama and I claim no ownership of them.

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AN: Well I have ended the 'should there be lemons in Mates?' poll and the majority said yes, but only for the main pairing. So now I've gotta work those in somewhere hehe. But since the second highest vote was 'yes' I'm gonna give the other pairings some lime :).

Congrats Sysclp on FFnet and TruGemini on Dokuga for the correct answer of I am Alpha. This chapter is dedicated to you :) And don't forget to pick up your winners' banner. Each chapter's winners will have one made for them, depicting their names as well as the line and what story it is from. Next round of 'What story is this line from?' is fairly simple as well :). '"I need you to sire a pup with me."' See told ya it was easy :P. And just so there isn't any further confusion, I'm looking for the title of the story the line comes from, not the person who said it.

***

Chapter 2

"I should be going with you," Kikyou insisted as Inuyasha pulled her by the hand through the dense forest that surround their little village. The silence rained down around them, quickly getting on Kikyou's nerves. Seeing that he was not going to make an attempt to reply, Kikyou continued, "My place is by your side, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha remained silent for a few more tense moments, able to feel her glaring holes into his back, before finally sighing. "Kikyou, even if I could some how get the others to change their minds, mine would not," he began as they arrived at a small stream and he stopped walking. Kikyou took stock of her surroundings for a moment, wondering why he had decided to stop here, before turning her attention back to him.

Turning back to face her, Inuyasha took her hands in his before continuing, "I need to know that you are home safe, Kikyou." Without giving her pause to respond, Inuyasha pulled her into his arms, capturing her lips in a heated kiss. Refusing to break the connection, he slowly lowered her to the ground, even as he began undressing her. Startled by his actions, Kikyou simply stared at him in shock for a moment before regaining control of herself.

"Inuyasha, what are you doing? We are out in the middle of the forest, this is not the time nor the place to be doing such a thing," Kikyou insisted as she broke the kiss and tried to keep her haori from falling off of her shoulders. Hearing him chuckle above her, she forgot about her clothing as she glanced back up at him, unaware of what he thought was so funny.

"Kikyou, why do you think Kagome told us to spend time together and we left the village? If we were just going to sit and talk we could have done it in our huts, but this we can't do during the day because the pups will hear us," he explained as he finished removing her haori while she sat there in shock. As what he was, none too subtly, hinting at registered in her mind, Kikyou found herself becoming mortified at their actions being known to the others.

"Wait, you mean she knows what we are going to be doing out here?" she demanded as her cheeks began to tinge pink at the thought. Unable to hide his amusement at her embarrassment, Inuyasha pulled her into his lap as he removed his own haori and placed it on the ground, laying her on top of it. Leaning over her, he placed a gentle kiss upon her forehead, hiding the grin he couldn't prevent from making itself known.

"Kikyou, we are mated adults, there is nothing to be embarrassed about," he insisted as he began trailing feather light kisses across her chest. "And besides, what do you think Miroku and Sango are doing?" he inquired, chuckling when her face inflamed even more. Inuyasha watched in continued amusement as he kissed his way to one of her pert, round breasts and her skin began to goosebump from his touch.

Gently rolling his tongue around her harden, pink nipple, he could hear her sharp intake of breath and smiled to himself before latching onto and suckling the little bud, causing her to moan beneath him. "Inuyasha," she whispered as he began to knead the previously ignored mound and she felt his other hand begin to caress ghost-like touches up and down her side.

She whimpered in protest when he stopped his ministrations causing him to chuckle once again, as he sat back and began removing his under shirt. Kikyou watched his actions with glossy eyes as she ran her hands across his well tone chest, gently scraping her nails as she went, causing him to noisily suck in air through his teeth.

Throwing his under shirt carelessly away, Inuyasha allowed himself to fall forward to his previous position, pinning her hands between their bodies, as he captured her lips in a heated kiss. Having been so wrapped up in the kiss, Kikyou had not noticed him removing her pants, only becoming aware of it when the cold air hit her skin. Her groan of protest soon became a whimper as he began grind his still covered hips into her exposed ones, the friction he was creating causing her quickly forget all about the cold.

***

Sango waited patiently, remaining silent, as Miroku continued to pull her through the dense thicket, weaving them in between trees and underbrush, mentally wondering where he was headed, but as he seemed too absorbed in what he was doing, she decided it would be best not to interrupt him for now. Finally, after what seemed like forever had dragged on, he came to a stop and Sango let her rant begin.

"Why didn't you stand up for me back there? I'm a demon slayer, in case you have forgotten, I've been fighting demons my entire life. Probably longer than you have. I am not made to sit at home tending to the fire like a good little wife, I am a fighter. The battlefield is where I belong, and you know it Miroku. And don't you dare give me any crap about it not being safe, my life has never been safe," she insisted when he looked as though he was about to interrupt.

Wisely, Miroku kept quiet as she continued, "I have trained by entire life to fight demons, and so what if there might be other Taiyoukai there? You think this is the first time anyone from my village has gone up against a Taiyoukai? Not even close. If it's safe enough for you to go, then it is most certainly safe enough for me. Face it Miroku, out of the two of us, we both know that I am the better fighter as your sutras aren't really going to be doing you much good in a fight like this.

"With only your staff to fall back on, I would be the better choice to go into this battle with them. And why aren't I? Because I am a woman?! What kind of a stupid, chauvinistic decision is that? And why the hell are we at a hot spring?!" she demanded as she finally noticed their surroundings. The spot he had decided to stop in was only a few feet away from a hot, steamy hot springs.

"Lady Sango, my love, my wife, you are correct. In a battle such as the one we go into, you would be the better fighter. You have far more experience than I do in fighting demons. You have trained longer, harder than I. Now, that being said, I suggest you remember something. Even if you do not agree with Sesshoumaru's decision, Lady Kagome agreed with him. You are not being left out because Sesshoumaru believes women are too weak to fight, or for any chauvinistic reason, but because Kagome believes it to be the right course.

"And I, have no intention of arguing or even discussing their decision. This will be the last night I am able to spend with my wife, for Kami only knows how long, and I fully intend on making this a night that neither of us shall ever forget," he told her with his characteristic perverted smirk as he dropped his staff to the ground and began untying the violet cloth, letting it fall to the ground forgotten.

"You pervert," Sango said rolling her eyes at his actions. Miroku merely continued to smirk as he pulled her in close and captured her lips in a heated kiss. Not breaking the connection, he reached around behind her and after untying its bow, he carelessly threw the green cloth away. Soon her kimono followed only to leave Miroku staring at her body in disappointment.

"Do you have any idea how hard that thing is to get off of you?" he complained as he looked down at her battle armor, annoyed at having to deal with it. Smirking, Sango pushed him backwards and reached up to begin removing the armor herself. Slowly, allowing her hips to sway in time to her beating heart, she removed each piece, dropping them to the ground with a soft thunk.

The moment the last shred of armor was removed, exposing her skin to the cool air, a small drop of blood escaped Miroku's nose, causing Sango to chuckle. "How long have we been married, Miroku? And you're still getting nosebleeds from me?" Instead of answering, he merely smirked again before wiping the blood away and quickly removing the remainder of his own clothing. Before she had the chance to realize what he was doing, Miroku had scooped her up into his arms and jumped into the hot spring, causing water to fly all over.

"Miroku what in the world....?" she began only to be silenced when he pressed his lips to hers once again as he pulled her flush against his chest. Feeling something hard pressing against her stomach, and knowing exactly what it was, Sango decided it would be far more fun to give up on questioning his actions and instead to just go with the flow. As she began to return the kiss, she reached her hands under the hot water, squeezed his well toned backside and pressed him even closer to her.

Smirking into the kiss, Miroku grabbed a hold of her thigh, placing it on his hip, and allowed his hand to delve under her leg as he searched for her most sensitive treasure. Finding it quickly, he began to rub tiny circles around it with the pad of his thumb, causing her to squirm beneath him. As her first soft moans of the night reached his ears, Miroku pushed all worries of the future out of his mind and allowed himself to get lost in his wife's arms.

***

Kagome smiled as Sango and Miroku made their way back into the clearing of their little village. Inuyasha and Kikyou, who had returned a few minutes before, followed her line of sight and glanced over at the couple from their spots around the fire. The flush to both girls' cheeks easily confirmed what Kagome was already sure had happened between the two couples while they were gone. There was only one reason for them to have to leave the village in order to spend time together. Kagome decided it would be best to spare them the embarrassment of knowing that she was aware of their actions.

Though she knew their embarrassment would be far worse if they realized Sesshoumaru could smell their activities, and he could. if the slight wrinkling of his nose was any indication. Putting their bashfulness aside, Kagome was about to welcome them home when Sesshoumaru suddenly stood and began dragging her away from the clearing. "We'll be back," she called over her shoulder with a slight laugh, but a moment before they broke the tree line. She allowed him to pull her along on his unseen path, figuring he would eventually stop and saw no real reason to interrupt him before hand.

After a few minutes of silence had passed between them, Sesshoumaru finally stopped and glanced around. Apparently satisfied with where they were, he turned back to Kagome. Before she had the chance to open her mouth to speak, he had leaned down, capturing her lips with his own in a passionate kiss that left Kagome breathless when it ended. As he embraced her in his strong, comforting arms, the dam that was holding back her fears and insecurities broke and she found herself weeping against him without realizing she had started.

"You have to promise me you'll come back to me," Kagome demanded, unaware before that moment that she had even been worried about losing him. She had been so wrapped up in taking care of the others' needs, that she hadn't even noticed her own. "I can't do this without you, Sesshoumaru," she insisted through the tears, even as she herself realized the truth of the statement.

Sesshoumaru grasped her chin in his clawed hand, tilting her head up until she was gazing into his golden eyes. She could feel the pad of his thumb gently wiping the tears away, finding herself in awe at his tenderness. "Kagome," he began and she could see the inner battle, that was waging in his mind, clearly in his eyes. Whatever he was about to say, she knew was important and opted to remain silent, giving him a reassuring smile.

"Kagome," he began again, before gazing off into the distance, apparently searching for his words. Even during the time he had been human, Kagome had never seen him this, dare she say, apprehensive and so she gently placed her hand on his warm cheek, giving him what little support she could offer. It appeared to be enough as he turned his gaze back to her with a ghost of a smile adorning his handsome face. "When I return, I intend to ask you to become my mate," he finished, closing his eyes with the softest of sighs.

Kagome's smile grew, uninhibited by the fact that he could not see it, as she replied to him. "When you return, my answer will be yes," she told him, watching as he opened his eyes, his subtle smile returning for a brief moment, before he was leaning down to press his lips against hers once again. They lost themselves in each other's touch for a few moments before Kagome finally pulled back, having remembered something she wanted to say to him.

"Sesshoumaru, make sure you spend some time with your children before you go. Make sure they know what they mean to you," she pleaded, knowing what it was like to never get the chance to fully tell someone how you feel before it is too late. And she would do anything to save members of her pack from facing the same heartache and regret that she did.

"I will, but right now, it is about us," he told her as he pulled them both to the hard ground and wrapped his arms around her. As he laid her head upon his chest, they fell into a comfortable silence. Kagome breathed in his scent, wishing she could store it perfectly in her memory as she was sure he was doing with her own.

***

As they returned to their little village, Sesshoumaru gave Kagome's hand a slight squeeze before releasing it and gracefully making his way over to where Rin was playing with the other children. "Rin," he gently called her name, knowing she would understand its meaning, before he once again walked away from the others, the little girl skipping along behind him with a large grin adorning her face.

As he passed those sitting around the fire, talking amongst themselves, he could hear Miroku's whispered words. "Did they?" the monk had questioned the half-demon, knowing full well he would understand what he was referring to. Sesshoumaru could hear his half-brother discretely sniffing the air in Kagome's direction.

"No," Inuyasha replied, not bothering to whisper as he knew Sesshoumaru would be able to hear him even if he did. Paying them no mind, Sesshoumaru continued his trek away from the others until he came upon his usual tree and gracefully sat at its base. Gesturing for Rin to sit down as well, he waited patiently as she bounced happily over to him, seating herself only a foot or so from him.

"Rin, do you understand what is going on?" he questioned after he had remained silent for a few moments studying her, not for the first time amazed that even this close to him, her scent and aura gave off not a shred of fear toward him. He should be used to it by now as she had not feared him for a single moment since the day they met, yet he still found the fact intriguing.

"Yep, Sesshoumaru-sama has to go fight," Rin replied, the smile never leaving her face, causing him to wonder if she truly understood what that meant, but decided it really did not matter. If she did not, all the better, as she could retain her childlike innocence all that much longer. Sesshoumaru found himself hoping she would keep it her entire life, praying that the horrors of life never managed to leave their stain on her.

"I wished to speak to you before I left," Sesshoumaru told her as he locked eyes with her, making sure he had her complete and undivided attention. Seeing that he did, and Rin was waiting silently for him to go on, he continued, "I want to make sure you know just how important you are to me." He hoped she would understand what he meant without having to go into details, being sentimental really wasn't his thing after all.

Rin's smile grew larger before she glanced around, apparently making sure no one was close enough to hear or observe her actions. Convinced it was safe, she turned back to Sesshoumaru with a toothy grin. "Just this once, Sesshoumaru-sama, may I call you my father?" she requested, giving him her patented pleading eyes, usually reserved for Jaken when she wished to cover him in wild flowers.

Seeing no harm in the request, Sesshoumaru nodded his approval and watched silently as the small girl rose to her feet and closed the short distance between them. Standing on her tip toes, she leaned over as far as she dare, until her lips were mere inches from his elven ear, removing any chance of her words being over heard, had anyone been inclined to listen in on their conversation. "I love you, daddy," she whispered softly.

Sesshoumaru's golden eyes widened a fraction of an inch in surprise before he allowed a soft, whisper of a smile to grace his lips. "And I you," he told her as he gently wrapped his arms around her small, delicate frame. Though it was soft, he could hear the giggle she let off as she hugged him back as tightly as her small, human arms could manage. Seeing how happy this tiny action could make her, Sesshoumaru found himself wondering why he had never shown her his affection before now.


	4. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all of its characters are property of the brilliant Takahashi-sama and I claim no ownership of them.

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AN: Congrats to the winners Cindy and Bethrezen for the correct answer of Playing Kami. This chapter is dedicated to both of you and don't forget to pick up your winners banner if you haven't already. Round 3: "Whoa Kagome, may I say that you are one hot dog." Good luck everyone :).

***

Chapter 3

Kagome watched, from her seat beside the campfire with the others, as Sesshoumaru returned, a bouncing and smiling Rin following after him. He gave her a look that told her his talk with Rin had gone well, though it disappeared the instant he glanced toward where Daichi was still playing with the other boys. Kagome sent him a reassuring smile, unperturbed by the fact that he was currently facing away from her and couldn't see it, and watched as he squared his shoulders, slowly moving toward his son. "Daichi," he called out, his voice calm and almost too quiet to hear from their distance.

Hearing his name, Daichi's head shot up but as he realized who was speaking to him, fear shown in his silver eyes for a brief moment before he glared hard at his father and turned to run into the hut, seeking the safety within. Kagome sighed quietly, hearing the others do the same, as Sesshoumaru turned back toward them, with an almost defeated look on his face, if you knew where to look for it. Giving him her best sympathetic expression, Kagome patted the ground next to her and waited for him to join them.

"Would it be possible to receive word from you while you are away?" Kikyou inquired after he had sat down, glancing between the two dog demon brothers. Inuyasha simply shrugged at the question before gesturing for Sesshoumaru to answer. All eyes turned toward him as they waited for his reply, the women hoping to be able to hear word from their husbands in their absence, the men hoping to be able to give their wives some small amount of comfort.

"It would not, as any messenger sent here could be tracked, putting the entire pack in danger. It is not a risk I am willing to take," Sesshoumaru informed her, shattering their hope and causing the girls to become down cast. Kagome found herself agreeing with them, even if she and Sesshoumaru weren't mated or married, like the others, the thought of not being able to hear word or send it to them until they returned, was rather depressing for her.

"I have a suggestion," Kagome began, deciding that no chance whatsoever of hearing from them was only going to make the separation seem all that much longer. "If you absolutely must send word, such as the war moving this way, you can always send it through Kouga. He will insure that no one follows him when he comes to deliver it. And anyone following the first messenger should simply assume that Kouga was the intended recipient." Sesshoumaru seemed to be about to disagree for a moment, but seeing the pleading look on Kagome's face, he finally nodded his head in agreement.

***

"It is time to awake, Kagome," she heard Sesshoumaru whisper next to her ear as he gently shook her awake. Slightly confused, she went to sit up to look around to see what was going on, only to find herself unable to move as his pale arms were wrapped around her waist, holding her against his chest. Seeing the remains of last night's campfire before her as she opened her eyes, Kagome soon remembered falling asleep in his arms as they talked by the fire late into the night. He had apparently decided they should remain there.

"I'm up," she told him with a yawn as she wiped the sleep from her eyes and turned to smile at him. "I'll go wake the kids. They would be heartbroken if they were not given the chance to say goodbye this morning." Sesshoumaru gave her a slight nod of agreement and she went to stand, only to find his hold on her tightened. She was about to ask him what he was doing when she saw the look in his golden eyes and opted to smile at him instead. He rested his forehead against hers for a few silent moments before nodding once again, though this time it seemed more to himself, before releasing her.

As we stood, Kagome smiled at him once again before turning to head to the hut to wake the children, finding the other adult members of their pack, sans Jaken, heading their way from their own huts. "Let's go get the children," she instructed the girls, her smile still present, as she greeted them and continued on her way to her hut where the children slept. Behind her, Kagome could hear Sango and Kikyou following after her, while Sesshoumaru asked Inuyasha and Miroku if they had everything they needed.

As they entered the hut, Kagome made her way to her own room, as Sango and Kikyou headed for the other. Stepping across the threshold, she found both Rin and Shippo asleep on her own futon, Rin's arms curled around him as if he was her stuffed animal. Smiling at the cute scene the two of them made, Kagome leaned down and gently shook them awake. "The guys are leaving soon. It's time to say goodbye," she explained when their sleepy eyes opened and stared up at her in confusion. In a flash, Shippo had sat up and looked around the room, seemingly trying to get his barrings, before smiling at her and rising.

As he made his way out of the room, Kagome turned her attention back to Rin, finding her holding her arms out to her. Chuckling, she lifted the little girl off of the futon, positioning her on her hip and began making her way back out of the room. As they entered the common room, the others were making their way out of the boys' room, rubbing the sleep from their eyes. Seeing Shippo yawning from his position in Sango's arms, Kagome briefly wondered why he hadn't asked her to hold him as Rin had done, but a moment later, found herself thankful he hadn't.

As Daichi walked into the room, he glanced at Rin before looking up at Kagome, longing visible in his silver eyes. Smiling, Kagome held her hand out for him, placing him on her free hip once he had climbed into her arms. Steadying herself, as their extra weight threatened to tip them over, Kagome turned back to the others, just as both Daichi and Rin rested their heads on her shoulders, simultaneously yawning as they did.

As they exited the hut, the guys glanced over from their seats around the fire and Kagome smiled at Sesshoumaru only to realize his attention was else where. Her smile grew wider when she noticed his gaze was trained on the children in her arms and she began walking over toward him. Stopping in front of him, she watched as he stood and turned his gaze up to her, making his way over to give her a light kiss on the cheek. Yawning, Rin opened her eyes and the moment she noticed Sesshoumaru, she wiggled her way out of Kagome's arms and embraced his leg, as that was the highest point she could reach to hug.

Patting her on the head, his version of affection, he watched Daichi from the corner of his eye, whom in turn watched the interaction between them silently. Seeing the look of longing that was present in Sesshoumaru's golden eyes whenever he looked at his son, Kagome leaned over to whisper to Daichi. "You should say goodbye to your father. You will regret this moment if you never get the chance again," she warned him, knowing without a doubt that this would not be the last time they saw him, as he had given her his word he would return and it was in fact Sesshoumaru, as she had yet to meet anyone who could seriously injure him other than Inuyasha.

Daichi glanced up at Kagome with his silver eyes shining with unasked questioned, and with a smile, she nodded. Apparently accepting what she had said as the truth, Daichi climbed out of her arms and respectfully bowed to Sesshoumaru. Seeing the interaction, Rin stepped back to Kagome's side with a huge grin adorning her face, which only grew imposingly bigger when Sesshoumaru dropped to his knees and pulled Daichi into his arms. Once again, Kagome found herself amazed at what he allowed their pack to witness.

"You are my heir and to me you are irreplaceable," Sesshoumaru told his son in a soft voice as he held Daichi's gaze with his own and after a few moments, Daichi's almost invisible nod could barely be seen. Looking up from his son, Sesshoumaru held out one of his arms for Rin and she rushed toward him. His embraced squished them together as he glanced up at Kagome with a whisper of a smile adorning his handsome face. As Kagome smiled back, she could hear the others finishing their own goodbyes and turned toward them just in time to be squished herself in a bear hug from Inuyasha and Miroku.

"Can't breath," she told them after a few moments when they hadn't released her, causing them to loosen their grip, before each of them gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "You guys be safe," she instructed with her sternest look as she glanced at each of them in turn. After nodding to her, Inuyasha and Miroku turned back to give their spouse a kiss as Sesshoumaru finally released his children and walked over to Kagome.

"Be safe," he whispered to her before placing a gentle kiss upon her forehead and turning, he began heading out of the village with Inuyasha and Miroku following after him. As they watched them leave, Kagome found herself thankful that they had spent last night saying their goodbyes. Their time together this morning was far too short and she knew it wouldn't be any where near enough time if all of their goodbyes had taken place then.

As they watched their departure, their retreating backs grew smaller with each step until they finally stepped into the forest, the trees obscuring their view. Long after they could no longer be seen, as the entire group continued to watch the direction they had gone, Kagome decided it was time to get their minds on other things. "Jaken, can you play with the kids while we make breakfast?" she requested and after he nodded to her, he began leading them away from the campfire.

***

After putting the children down for the night, Kagome made her way back over to the campfire where Sango and Kikyou were waiting for her, the latter glancing up at her as she approached. "Kagome, why did you agree with Sesshoumaru that we should not go with them? I would think you would want to be by his side as well and I find myself confused by your actions," Kikyou admitted and with a smile, Kagome sat down across from them, already having expected that this would come up at some point.

"Of course I do, but as long as they were worried about us, and you know they would be, they would be unable to fight at their best. And my place is with the children, no matter how much I wanted to go, and I know I will need your help here," she explained as she placed a pot of water over the fire to prepare tea for them. Kagome decided it would be a good idea to stock up on some more tea leaves soon, the long nights that awaited them while they were gone would lead way for many hours sitting around the fire. And she knew that the calming effects of a nice, hot cup of tea would sorely be needed.

"I do not know how I am going to be able to stand waiting, they only left this morning and I am already missing Miroku," Sango admitted with a sigh and out of the corner of her eye, Kagome could see Kikyou nodding her head in agreement. "The days, and especially the nights, are going to drag on seemingly forever without him here by my side. I can not even remember the last time we were apart for any length of time."

"Well they say time flys when you are having fun, so we will just have to make each day fun so they will fly by. We each should come up with something to do to help pass the time," Kagome decided, figuring if they managed to keep themselves busy, it wouldn't feel like an eternity waiting for the guys to return. And with most of the members of their pack still within their village, there should be plenty of things for them to distract themselves with.

"Well, we can always resume demon hunting in the nearby villages. I am sure there will be plenty of random demon attacks to keep us busy for a while," Kikyou suggested gaining nods of agreement from both Sango and Kagome. "And I believe my sister has mentioned an increase in demon attacks lately, perhaps connected with the upcoming war, and if it is, we can help Inuyasha and the others, even with being forced to remain here."

"That is a great idea for you two, I can stay here and watch the children while you are out," Kagome told them with a smile, hoping to get Kikyou's mind back off of the war, as the water began to boil and she pulled the teapot off of the flames. As they each handed her their cup in turn, Kagome filled them with the hot, steamy water before placing a tea leaf into each one. As she repeated her actions with her own cup, Sango and Kikyou smiled at her in appreciation.

"Well what are you going to do, Kagome-chan?" Sango inquired as she blew on the steaming liquid before taking a careful sip. Finding it still too hot to drink, she went back to blowing on it, causing ripples to appear on the surface of the tea, before glancing back up at Kagome as she started to speak again,

"Well Kaede has mentioned needing my help in the village, plus I really should get back to studying herbs. Also I have been wanting to start a vegetable garden here in the village so we wouldn't have to always trade with the village for some. The harvest haven't been that good lately and so the fresh produce available for trade is getting smaller. And I think I want to start up a small school so we can educate the members of our pack and even some of the villagers, if they want to."

"You are going to be very busy," Kikyou pointed out with a soft laugh as she raised her cup to her lips and took a small sip of the still steaming liquid. Bringing the cup just a mere inch away from her nose, Kikyou breathed in its scent deeply, allowing the fragrance to help her rattled nerves a bit. Though it didn't rid her entirely of her stress, it was enough for her for now.

"That's the whole point," Kagome agreed with a smile as she took a sip of her own tea. They fell into a companionable silence, each mulling over what they would be doing to keep themselves busy and the absence of their loved ones. Almost as if they read each other's minds, the three of them sighed simultaneously causing them to laugh out loud at their in sync thoughts.


	5. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all of its characters are property of the brilliant Takahashi-sama and I claim no ownership of them.

* * *

AN: Still no correct guesses for round 3, "Whoa Kagome, may I say that you are one hot dog.", so I will extend it for one more week and give ya a hint. It's from a one-shot.

***

Chapter 4

"Hey Jaken, can you watch the children for a little bit while I'm gone? I shouldn't be away for too long," she assured him as she made her way over to where he was sitting next to the fire, the steam from his tea rising up from his hands. Jaken glanced over to where the children were running around in a game of tag before sighing and turning back to Kagome. With an almost inaudible sigh, he nodded his head before turning his attention back to the children.

"I know you are supposed to get a break from the children today, and don't worry you will. I just need to make one quick stop into town to talk to Lady Kaede and I will be right back, I swear. The pups should still be playing tag when I get back so you won't really have to do anything," she assured him, giving the poor, worn out demon a sympathetic smile. "I'll be back in five, ten minutes tops," she promised as she turned and began making her way away from their village.

Kagome listened to the giggling sounds coming from the children until they were no longer within ear shot, smiling to herself at the amount of energy they had. It seemed to her that with each child they added to their pack, the more energy each one had. Kagome found herself wondering what would become of Jaken once the couples in the pack started having their own children, and couldn't help but laugh as an image of Jaken covered in babies popped into her mind.

Seeing the tree line was disappearing in front of her, Kagome pulled her thoughts away from Jaken and the children and stopped at the edge of the forest as she looked down over the village. Every time she came here, she could help but remember the first time, and felt if it had happened in another life time. It felt as if it was forever ago that she released Inuyasha from the tree and their journey began. Though considering everything they had gone through since then, it really didn't surprise her that it seemed so long ago.

As this line of thought made her remember just how much she missed the other members of her pack, Kagome shook her head to clear her mind and drew in a deep breath. Smiling at a passing villager, she began making her way into the village, greeting each person she passed with either a nod or a smile. Most were returned, even if they did seem a bit apprehensive, but Kagome filed away the thought for a later date.

Following the well know path, Kagome made her way toward the tiny, two room hut, seeing small puffs of grey smoke billowing out of the roof. Knowing that meant the older priestess had a fire going and was no doubt at home, Kagome set aside ceremony as she always did with her friends and family, and treated the hut as if it were her own. "Good morning, Lady Kaede," Kagome greeted as she pushed aside the cloth hanging that covered the door.

"Are you home?" she called out after hearing no reply, walking into the small room and finding it empty. "Weird," she mumbled to herself as she glanced around and spotted a pot of water beginning to boil of the fire pit in the middle of the room. "Guess that means she'll be back soon," Kagome decided, figuring the older woman wouldn't leave something over her fire if she was going to gone for more than a few minutes.

Deciding there was no reason to allow the water to boil over, Kagome made her way over to the fire and carefully removed the pot from the flames, hanging it from the nearby spit. Taking a seat next to the fire, Kagome decided to wait there for the elder to return. Spotting Kaede's tea supplies next to the fire, figuring she had been intending on making herself some after breakfast tea when she had been called out, Kagome set to preparing it for herself and Kaede, deciding it would give her something to do while she waited.

Rising to her feet, Kagome walked over to the small cupboard she knew Kaede kept her dishes in and pulled out two cups before making her way back over to the fire. As she was filling them with the hot, steamy water, she heard soft footsteps entering the hut behind her. "Good morning, Lady Kaede," she greeted before turned to give the older woman a smile. Kaede seemed a bit startled seeing her there, as she was expecting to return to an empty hut, but smiled back in greeting after a moment.

"Good morning, child, what brings ye here this early? I was not expecting to have any guests this morning, so I was out helping the villagers," Kaede explained as she made her way over to where Kagome was sitting, watching as she went through the well known steps of making tea. Still smiling, Kaede accepted the offered cup of hot tea once it was finished.

"I wanted to discuss something with you, Lady Kaede," Kagome began as she finished preparing her own cup and turned toward the older priestess. "I am planning to start up a school to educate the children in my pack and was thinking about extending the invitation to the villagers as well. Do you think they would appreciate something like this?" she inquired as she blew on her her tea before taking a few careful sips of the steaming liquid.

"Aye, I believe it is a good idea, child. I shall speak with the villagers in regards to building a hut for ye to teach in, as I doubt we have any big enough buildings that are currently in disuse. I do doubt that many of the adults would wish to be taught, as they have their fields to tend to, but I am sure they will appreciate having a place for their children to go to learn," Kaede explained, patting Kagome on the hand in assurance.

"That's good to hear. Let me know if the villagers need any help with the building, I'm sure the others would be happy to help," Kagome told her with a smile as she continued to sip away at her tea, the warm liquid calming nerves she didn't even realize were rattled.

"Ye will have to trade with nearby villages for any supplies ye may need, as we do not have any available here, but I would not worry about the building. For all ye group has done for the village, I am sure they will be more than happy to take care of it for you. And ye children already have enough to worry about without adding construction work as well," Kaede insisted with a soft smile as she took a small sip of her tea.

***

As she had predicted, when Kagome arrived back in the clearing that housed their little village, the children were still engrossed in their game of tag. Smiling at Rin's squeal as she tried to catch a laughing Shippo, Kagome made her way over to the fire and sat down next to the silent, but ever vigilant, Jaken. "See, told you I wouldn't be too long," she told him with a smile as she glanced down at him before turning her attention back to the children.

"Right," Jaken agreed half-heartedly without bothering to look over at her. Confused as to the reason for his melancholy tone, Kagome stared down at him in silence as he continued to watch the children play. After a moment, he sighed loudly and pointedly looked away from the kids, turning his attention back to the dimming fire in front of him. Sudden understanding came to her and Kagome gently placed her hand upon his shoulder as she smiled down at him.

Waiting until Jaken had to turned toward her in question, Kagome prompted, "You miss him too, don't you?" Seeing his huff as he turned away, Kagome couldn't help but laugh, the word 'bingo' flashing through her mind. "Sulking by yourself isn't going to do you any good, Jaken. It's only going to make the time seem that much longer before he returns," Kagome insisted as she leaned back and stared up at the clear sky above them.

"I should be with my lord. Before her, I had followed him into battle he encountered since we met. I feel useless here, I'm no longer even needed to babysit his ward as Lord Sesshoumaru now has you. If I am no longer fit to fight beside him, or guard what he treasures while he is away, why am I even still here? Why do I stay where I am no longer needed?" Jaken questioned, though Kagome believed the last part was directed at himself.

"Jaken, you aren't useless and you are very much needed here. Do you know why he left you here with us? Cause he knew he could trust you to protect us if something was to happen. You know Sesshoumaru better than any of us, if he truly thought you were unneeded, do you think he would keep you around? Do you know the best thing about being part of a pack?" she inquired and waited until he had turned back toward her before continuing.

"There is always someone there to help pick up the slack. You never have to worry about doing everything on your own. I did not take away your responsibilities, Jaken, I am merely helping you with them. Just as the others help me with my own. Besides, I'm not the chaperon for Rin and Souta, you are. And I can't keep my eye on them while dealing with the other children, so at the very least Jaken, know that I need you. Tell me something, Jaken, why do you think you are no longer needed here?"

"He didn't say it," Jaken whispered so quietly that Kagome almost missed it. Kagome gave him a confused look in response, having no idea what he was referring to. "Every time Lord Sesshoumaru leaves, he warns that if anything happens to Rin, I will pay for it. But this time, nothing. He didn't even look my way once before leaving," Jaken explained as he sighed once again.

Unable to prevent herself, Kagome busted out laughing, earning herself a glare from Jaken. "I'm sorry," she told him as she tried to get herself back under control. "That is just the cutest thing ever," she continued only to fall into another giggling fit. Jaken waiting impatiently for her to regain her senses, his glare only becoming darker. "Jaken," she began, clearing her throat as she came down from her fit. "Have you ever thought that maybe, just maybe, he didn't say it this time because his trust in you has grown?"

Jaken stared at her skeptically, choosing to remain silent instead of answering her question. "If Sesshoumaru had lost his faith in you, he would not have put you in charge of chaperoning them, and he sure as heck would not leave you here to help protect his heir. Do you remember right after you guys first joined us, when Sesshoumaru had been turned human?" Kagome inquired and waited until he nodded before continuing.

"There was a slip of the tongue by Sesshoumaru, he referred to it as 'our' pack. And he later explained to Inuyasha that because he was part of Sesshoumaru's pack, so were the members of Inuyasha's. My point," Kagome said seeing she was starting to confuse the poor toad demon, "Is that when Sesshoumaru was referring to his own pack, he wasn't just talking about himself and Rin. He was talking about you as well. And by my own choice, you are also part of my pack. You belong here just as much as everyone else does.

"And you have to remember one thing, Jaken. Right before they left, Sesshoumaru finally had a breakthrough with Daichi. I doubt even I was really on his mind at that moment. But if it will make you feel better, I can always threaten you with bodily harm," Kagome offered with her best attempt at mimicking Sesshoumaru's darkest glare. Jaken stared at her for a moment in shock before squawking indignantly as he turned away. As Kagome began to laugh again, Jaken squawked again as he saw Rin and Souta too close together for his liking and took off running after them.

"What's so funny, Kagome-chan?" Sango inquired from behind her, startling the giggling woman. As she turned around to face her, Kagome saw Kikyou climbing off of the back of Kirara from behind Sango. "We just returned," Sango explained as she saw the confused look on Kagome's face before she remembered where they had been and smiled at them in greeting. "All of the villages in the surrounding area know to send for us if any demons attack."

"That was quick, I wasn't expecting you guys to be back for quite a while yet. And don't worry about me guffawing like a loon, you could say it's an inside joke with Jaken," she explained with a smile as she watched Sango climb down as well before picking up Kirara, whom had transformed into her smaller form once her passengers had gotten off.

"There are not that many villages around here and each said they would pass the news on to the others further out, so we were able to finish out task much faster than anticipated," Kikyou explained as she made her way over to the wood pile and began adding more logs to the fire. Once she was finished, she joined the others sitting around it.

"I spoke with Lady Kaede while you two were gone about the teaching idea. She thinks it will be a good idea, at least for the village children and will ask the villagers to build a hut for me to use. She warned me that I will have to worry about my own supplies, which I will begin dealing with in just a minute," Kagome informed them and Sango and Kikyou nodded their heads in understanding.

"Alright," Kagome began after a few moments of silence, sure they had nothing else to discuss, as she stood and dusted off the back of her pants before turning to Sango and Kikyou. "I'm going to take the boys out hunting. Can you two keep an eye on Rin while we are gone?" she requested, already knowing they would even if she hadn't asked. In response, the two nodded their heads with a smile. "We'll be back in a little while," she assured them as she began making her way over to where the children were playing.

"Come on boys, let's go hunting," she called out to them, watching as each of them stopped what they were doing and turned toward her in question. "We'll be back soon," she assured Jaken and Rin as she turned and began making her way away from the village. After a moment, Shippo, Souta, Kohaku and Daichi followed after her, shrugging to each other as they had no idea why she had suddenly decided to go hunting.

"Why can I not go?" Rin questioned Jaken as she watched her playmates leave before turning toward the demon who was now standing next to her. Seeing her down cast look at being left behind, Jaken gently patted her hand as he began leading her over to the fire where Sango and Kikyou were still sitting. Gesturing for her to take a seat, he set about making them both a cup of tea and handed her hers before sitting down next to her.

"Miko-san didn't invite you to go along because of how messy hunting can be. You know all those forest animals that you love like rabbits and deer?" he inquired as he turned toward her while taking a sip of the hot, steamy liquid. After she nodded, he continued, "That's what they are going to be killing. Would you really want to be there to watch or even help them do that?" he questioned, already knowing the answer, and so was not surprised when she forcefully shook her head. "That is why you were not invited to go. It wasn't to leave you out but to spare you from it."

***

"Why are we going hunting again?" Souta inquired after the group had remained silent for a few minutes, having crossed the tree line surrounding their village and began treking their way through the dense forest on the other side. Each of them nodded their heads in agreement, having been just wondering the same thing as they followed along behind Kagome.

"We're going to prepare the meat for ourselves and use the hides to trade for things our pack needs. For starters, I plan on getting a school started and for that I will need ink and paper. Also you boys are quickly outgrowing your clothes and we will soon need more material to make more. And winter is not too far off, we need to start drying some meat so it will keep until then and we will have plenty to eat when all of the game becomes harder to find," Kagome explained as she weaved in between the trees, searching the ground for tracks as Inuyasha had taught her.

"We never did this before," Shippo pointed out a bit confused, as Kagome had never really seemed like the hunting type to him. In fact, he could clearly remember her complaining to Inuyasha on more than one occasion when he brought back what he had hunted before cleaning it. And if he remembered right, she had said that she could only stand the thought of eating meat as long as she could no longer tell that it was originally a living creature.

"You're right Shippo we didn't. Inuyasha has always done the hunting, Sesshoumaru as well once they joined us. But with them gone, it's left up to the rest of us and while I would much rather send Jaken out here with you, I can not imagine his voice not scaring away all of the game. So I will accompany you guys the first few times until you get used to it," Kagome explained before gesturing for them to be quiet as she grabbed an arrow from her quiver and pulled it taunt in her bow.

They waited silently for a few moments before a lone deer walked into their sights and watched as Kagome aim her bow at her target. She drew in a deep breath, about to release it as she did her arrow, when she felt a hand being placed on her arm. Glancing down in question, she found Daichi gesturing for her to wait and as she lowered her bow, he disappeared from her side. Confused, Kagome glanced around for a moment trying to find out where he had gone.

After a few moments of silence, a soft gasp from Souta brought her attention to him, following his gaze, she realized he was staring in front of them. Where the deer had been grazing just a moment before, she found a small, reddish-brown dog, who's sharp fangs were embedded in the animal's neck. "Daichi?" she questioned, some how knowing it was him even if she had never thought of the possibility that he might be able to transform like his father.

He turned toward her at the sound of her voice, with his head tilted slightly to the side in question, before closing the distance between them, letting the deer drop at her feet. "You can't turn into a fox as well, can you?" she inquired after a moment as she watched him shift back to his humanoid found. As he wiped a few drops of the deer's blood from around his mouth, he shook his head.

"No, I can take the form of a dog because my father's blood is dominate. If it was reversed, and my father was a fox, than I would be able to transform into one instead," he explained as he lifted the deer over his shoulder and gestured back toward the village. "I'll take this home, if you want to continue. I know the others can't hunt the same way that I do," he explained with a slight smirk, his air of arogance reminding Kagome of the other two dog demons.

Kagome briefly wondered if he realized how much he looked like his father when he did that, before turning her attention back to the still waiting boy. "Go ahead, the village is within ear shot of here so yell if you get into any trouble. Though I doubt you will since I do not feel any other demons in the area other than our pack's. I assume you can track our scents to rejoin us when you are done," she mentioned, and after nodding his head in agreement, Daichi turned and began making his way back toward home as the others continued on the way they had been going.

***

"Jeez Kagome, think you got enough meat?" Sango inquired when she spotted her and the others returning to the village, carrying another four catches besides the deer Daichi had brought her a while ago. Kagome just smiled as she made her way over to where Sango was still cleaning their first kill and dropped the rabbits she was holding before sitting down next to her and beginning to clean them.

"Never been hunting with Inuyasha have you?" Kagome countered as the children dropped off their 'packages' before heading off to wash their hands and returned to playing with Rin. "If the guys were here, this would only last about three days," she told her, glancing up to smile as Kikyou as she joined them, both giving Kagome disbelieving looks. "I'm serious," she began as she laughed at their expressions, "Our pack eats an entire deer in one day.

"You have to remember that we have three dog demons, including one full grown adult, one growing pup and I'm sure you both know how much Inuyasha eats. And besides, we have to start stocking up for the winter, without Inuyasha here to do the hunting for us, it'll be harder to find anything during the winter so we've got to start drying the meat while we can still find them," she explained as she set the first rabbit aside and picked up the second one.

"I realize I haven't really paid that much attention to how much gets cooked in a day, but we can't really eat that much can we?" Sango inquired as she glanced toward Kikyou, seeking her agreement, only to find her shrugging her shoulders as she had no idea either way. Hearing Kagome laughing, they both turned their attention back to her in question.

"Well think about it. Sesshoumaru only eats meat, Inuyasha will pretty much eat anything, but in large quantities. We have five growing children, two of which are full demons, and four adult humans that have to keep up their strength in order to fight. The three easiest are Kirara, Jaken and Ah-Un, one of which mostly just grazes on grass. I quite literally feed a small village every time I cook a meal. With over a dozen of mouths to feed, is it really that surprising?" Kagome questioned, watching as Sango seemed to think it over for a moment.

"Is there really that many people in the pack?" Sango wondered as she glanced around the clearing, quickly counting each person she saw. "Wow, I never noticed how many members there were, we really do have our own little village, don't we?" Sango joked as she turned her attention back to her task. Kagome just smiled at her as she too went back to cleaning the rabbit in her hands. As the conversation dwindled down, each busy concentrating on what they were doing, Kagome noticed that Kikyou's down cast expression had returned.

"You okay Kikyou? How are you handling everything?" she inquired, already knowing the cause of her expression. It was not hard to figure out that she was missing her mate, but unlike Kagome and Sango, Kikyou was less likely to talk about how she was feeling. And knowing how much it can help, Kagome figured it was best to get the older priestess talking as well.

"I am hanging in there, but I wish he was home where he belongs," Kikyou admitted as she turned her attention to Kagome, having been startled from her thoughts. "Or at least that I had been able to go with him," she continued with a sigh before glancing back down at the animal she was cleaning. Kagome felt the urge to embrace the older girl in comfort, but decided against it as her hands were a bit bloody at the moment.

"I know what you mean, Kikyou, but it was for the best that we remained here. I know you may not agree with my decision, but by staying here, we will enable them to concentrate on what is happening around them. We couldn't risk becoming a distraction for them," Kagome insisted as she gave Kikyou a sympathetic smile.

"I understand that, Kagome. I understand, but I do not like it," Kikyou admitted as she set aside the cleaned rabbit and returned Kagome's smile before picking up the next rabbit and getting started on cleaning it. Kagome watched her in silence for a few moments as she thought over her words, finding herself agreeing with them completely.

"Well no one ever said you had to, heck even I don't like it," Kagome agreed, causing the three of them to laugh. "All we can do is keep ourselves busy and the time will pass before we know it. Right now we need to concentrate on getting food ready for winter, so we're already going to be pretty busy for a while," she assured them with a smile and after receiving a nod from both of them, she turned back to the task at hand.


	6. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all of its characters are property of the brilliant Takahashi-sama and I claim no ownership of them.

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AN: Congrats to round 3 winners Sysclp and Happy2SeeAll for the correct answer of 'The demon in me'. This chapter is dedicated to you :). Don't forget to pick up your winners' banner. Round 4 '"Live in the past with me tonight. Experience with me what might have been,"' Good luck everyone. And just a reminder youbo is adopted mother, which is what Rin and Shippo began calling Kagome in Alpha.

***

Chapter 5:

Kagome rubbed her still sleepy eyes as she slowly stumbled out of her hut to be greeted by the cool, pre-dawn air. Releasing a wide yawn, she stretched out the kinks that had accumulated during the night, smiling at the soft pops her joints voiced as each helped to release the tension in her body. Glancing off into the horizon, Kagome spotted the first rays of the sun peaking over the treetops and drew in a deep breath of the fresh morning air.

Deciding she had better get breakfast started if it was going to be finished by the time the others began to awake, she turned her attention away from the sky and began making her way toward the fire pit. Used to being the first on awake, Kagome was startled when she spotted Rin leaning over a roaring fire, busy cooking a breakfast. Confused about why she was cooking, especially when it was only big enough for one person, Kagome made her way over to the young girl. "What are you doing, Rin?" she called out, startling the younger girl.

"Ah, Youbo-san, you scared me," Rin admitted as her head shot up, while she placed a hand over her heart. "I want to surprise Souta-kun with breakfast in bed, so I am making him something to eat," she explained with a slight blush before turning her attention back to the fire. Kagome couldn't help but smile at the adorable gesture as she moved back away to allow Rin to finish what she was doing without having to worry about someone watching over her shoulder.

Seeing Kikyou and Sango making their way out of their huts, Kagome headed them off as they moved toward the fire, greeting them with a large smile. "What's going on?" Sango inquired softly, sending an amused look toward Rin's back before turning her attention to Kagome. Pressing her finger to her lips, gesturing for them to be quiet, Kagome led them back toward the huts so they could speak without Rin overhearing.

"Rin has decided to serve Souta breakfast in bed this morning and wanted to prepare the food herself," Kagome explained in an almost secretive tone, forcing herself not to giggle at the younger girls adorable actions. Completely oblivious to the audience she had, Rin continued concentrating on what she was doing, every so often, releasing a soft growl of frustrations when things did not go as she wanted them to. "One day that little girl is going to be my sister-in-law, I just know it," Kagome insisted as she heaved a soft sigh of contentment.

"Wouldn't that be a bit strange?" Sango questioned, drawing a confused look from Kagome. "Well think about it, when and if you mate Sesshoumaru she'll be your step daughter, so to speak. So your step daughter will also be your sister-in-law," she explained causing Kagome to laugh. Before she had the chance to respond, she noticed Rin had finished and was making her way into their hut. Gesturing for them to follow her, Kagome made her way back over to the fire as she began preparing breakfast for the rest of their pack.

"It will be a bit strange, but when has anything our pack ever done not been strange?" she inquired rhetorically, causing both Sango and Kikyou to give her slightly dubious looks. "Think about it," Kagome insisted as she kept her attention half on cooking and half on their conversation. "Our pack is a combination of both demons and humans, which is pretty much unheard of to begin with. Our demon slayer cohabits with demons, our pious monk is a lecher, one of our priestesses is mated to a half-demon the other is from the future, and that's just the adult humans.

"For the kids we have our younger brothers, a kit who consideres a priestess to be his mother, and both a biological and an adopted child of a demon lord, one of which is human when he is well known for hating humans. We have two half-brothers who have spent their entire lives fighting each other, living side by side in peace. Does any of this scream normal to you two?" she inquired with a laugh, gaining two head shakes in response.

"And if you think about my relationships with everyone, my first love I see as a brother, my ex rival in love is my sister, two, maybe even three kids, I have no blood ties with consider me to be their mother and I am being courted by a demon who has tried to kill me on more than one occasion. So if you think about it, having a step daughter/sister-in-law, doesn't seem that strange anymore does it?" Kagome wondered laughing and after a moment of thinking over her words, the other two joined in.

***

Grabbing the extra plates she had set aside for Rin, since she doubted the girl had made enough for both her and Souta to eat, and Jaken, who was refusing to leave the hut so they wouldn't be un chaperoned, Kagome began making her way over to her hut. Opening the door with one hand, as she balanced the plates in the others, she stepped inside to find Jaken sitting by himself on the floor, glaring in the direction of the boys' room. Flashing him a quick smile, she handed him his food and headed toward the other room.

As she stood in the doorway, she had to force herself not to chuckle at the cute picture the two of them made. They were seated in the middle of the room, Rin closest to the door and feeding a blushing Souta from his plate. Trying not to disturb them, Kagome silently made her way into the room, setting Rin's plate down next to her before turning and heading back out the way she had come. As she was making her way back outside, to eat her own breakfast, Jaken called out to her, causing her to stop in the doorway.

"Do you truly believe Rin will be your sister-in-law one day, miko-san?" Jaken inquired, not taking his eyes off of the doorway where he could just barely see Rin and Souta. From his tone, she could easily tell that he did not like that idea, though whether it was because he didn't approve of Souta or he just wasn't ready to 'lose' Rin to another man, Kagome wasn't quite sure. Perhaps it was both.

"Yes, though I believe it won't be for many years," Kagome replied as she turned around to face him and leaned back against the door frame. She watched in silence as he seemed to think over her words for a moment before heaving a loud sigh. As he finally began eating his breakfast, making Kagome think she would be free to return to her own, he shook his head forcefully before speaking again.

"Rin is far too much of a free spirit to ever be tied down," he insisted as he finally turned his full attention to Kagome, even if it was only for a moment before he was back to glaring in Souta's direction and took a large bite of his food. "No offence, miko-san, but your brother is not good enough for Rin," he insisted in between mouthfuls.

"None taken Jaken, you not thinking him worthy isn't an insult to my brother, but praise to her. It's no secret how much that little girl means to you two and truthfully I would be more upset if you found someone you thought was worthy of her. I want you to think about something through, instead of seeking someone you believe to be good enough, as you will never find someone, try looking for someone that will make her happy. Someone she finds worthy.

"You maybe right, Jaken, as Rin is rather like a butterfly. She is beautiful and free. Though you may only hold onto her for a little while, your heart will have been forever touched. Perhaps they will never be married, but I believe she will at least sister-in-law like. And no matter the outcome, as long as they are happy, I am happy. I know Rin may one day fly away, escaping from Souta's hands like the butterfly she is, but he will be forever blessed for the moment she was with him," Kagome explained, giving Jaken a smile before turning and making her way out of the hut.

Though it was really soft, Jaken was able to make out Rin's whispered words to Souta from his position on the floor. "I will always fly back to you," she promised, apparently having overheard his conversation with Kagome, causing the blush on Souta's cheeks to deepen. As Jaken continued to watch them, only half paying attention to the food on his plate, he thought over Kagome's words, wondering if her suggestion of searching for someone who would make Rin happy rather than someone he felt was worthy of her, was the correct course of action.

***

Arriving at the clearing that housed a small outdoor hot springs, Kagome couldn't help but sigh in contentment at how the inviting the warm, steamy water looked. Silently removing her clothing, she set them next to her towel and climbed in, feeling her muscles beginning to relax as the water washed over them. "Is there anything better in this world than a nice, long soak in a hot springs?" Kagome inquired rhetorically as she leaned back against the warm rocks that surrounded it.

"I can think of one thing," Sango replied in an amused tone, and having been around Miroku for so long, Kagome instantly knew what she was referring to. Kagome stared at her friend for a moment in silence, beginning to wonder if she had indeed heard her correctly as it wasn't really something she ever expected to hear for Sango, even if it was simply innuendo. Deciding she had in fact heard correctly, she turned toward Sango in mock offense.

"I think that husband of yours is turning you into a fellow pervert," Kagome jokingly warned her, prompting Sango to slash her with the warm water. Startled at the move, Kagome gasped before laughing as retaliating with an even bigger splash. Their battle went on for a few moments until they saw Kikyou was about ready to get into the hot springs, looking at them as if they had lost their minds. Smiling sheepishly, they settled back against the rocks and were content with mock glaring at each other.

"I'm not the only one, though, if you understood that so quickly," Sango finally countered with a laugh as she gave Kagome a smug look. "Besides, once you experience it you will be agreeing with me, right Kikyou?" she questioned as she glanced over at her as she sat down in the water next to her. About to ignore the question, as it really wasn't a proper conversation to be having, Kikyou changed her mind when she saw the slight blush creeping up Kagome's cheeks.

Nodding her head in agreement, Kikyou smiled as the blush grew brighter, knowing it was not caused by the hot water. "What are you guys talking about?" Rin questioned confused as she glanced at each of the other girls in turn. The three adults shared a laugh at her innocent question, before the other two smiled at Kagome, letting her know they were leaving it up to her to answer.

"You'll understand when you are older, Rin," Kagome explained, opting to go with the age old response her mother had used on her many times when she was a kid, as she gave her a soft smile before turning to glare at Sango and Kikyou for leaving it to her. Considering she was the only one of the three to not have experienced what they were referring to, she was the least likely to be able to answer her question satisfactorily. "Ah and by the way, I think it would be fun to have a girls' night, tonight. I've been meaning to bring it up, but kept getting distracted by other things," Kagome told them, opting to change the subject completely before Rin had the chance to ask any further questions, with a light chuckle.

"What is a 'girls' night'?" Kikyou wondered confused as her and the others turned back toward Kagome, deciding she would be nice and allow the earlier conversation to drop although Rin wasn't exactly too young to hear about such things in this era, but she knew Kagome's era was a bit different. That and she didn't want to be the one Sesshoumaru sought out to interrogate if Rin happened to mention their conversation when he returned.

"Basically we'll have Jaken watch over the boys tonight and we can stay up late in one of the other huts talking, playing games and getting into my stash. It's pretty much just girls being able to be girls for once," Kagome explained to her with a smile. Thinking about it, she realized the last time she had been part of a sleepover was before her first trip to the past and she felt that the girls in the pack were well overdo for a night of just being able to be themselves.

"Your stash? I knew you were hording away some of that candy of yours still," Sango insisted with a smile as she slashed her once again.

"Of course," Kagome agreed with a laugh as she retaliated. Giggling at their antics, Rin soon joined in the water fight, pulling Kikyou in with her when her misdirected slash hit her instead of Sango. The sounds of the laughter filled the clearing, soon becoming so loud the demons back at the village turned up their ears, wondering what they found so funny about bathing.

***

"Souta," Kagome called out later that night as she began making her way toward where he had stopped when he heard his name. "We're going to be starting our girls' night soon, and I want you to help Jaken keep an eye on the others. I figured you could help teach them how to build a fort to keep them entertained," she suggested, watching as Souta's eyes lit up as he thought of the possibilities a night of building a fort could lead to.

"What are we allowed to use for it?" Souta questioned after a moment, already mentally going over items he knew were in the hut that would make great building materials for a fort. While he enjoyed playing with the other kids, and the games they played in this era were really fun, Souta missed being able to play some of the games he had in the future with his class mates. Building forts had always been one of his favorite activities, second only to soccer, and was always one of the first things done during sleep overs with his friends.

"Anything that is not breakable. The futons, blankets and anything else you can find in our hut," she informed him and Souta smile, his mind already turning towards thinking of materials that could be found in the hut, completely forgetting about his sister. Kagome smiled as she watched him silently, already knowing where his mind had wandered off to.

"I want to go with you," Shippo complained as he made his way over to where they were standing, looking slightly depressed. Tonight would be the first time he had not been allowed to go with the girls whenever they did anything and he didn't think it was very fair. The some many people now in the pack, Kagome was spending less and less time with him and he was hoping he would be able to spend some time with her tonight, but instead she was letting Rin join them. Not that he really minded Rin being there, he just didn't understand why he couldn't as well.

"No you don't, trust me. Girls' night is really boring. They are going to sit up doing their hair, talking about boys and doing other really girly stuff. We, on the other hand, get to build a fort. It'll be much more fun, don't worry," Souta told him with a grin as he began pulling Shippo away from Kagome's side.

"Souta is right, Shippo, you will have much more fun with the boys tonight than with the girls," Kagome agreed as she reached into her haori and pulled out a small bag. "Share this with the others tonight," she instructed before handing Souta the bag. He quickly opened it, and after discovering the contents were candy, grabbed Shippo and began heading toward the hut, calling a quick thanks over his shoulder.

Laughing, Kagome turned and began making her way toward Kikyou's hut, where they had decided to spend the night, once the splashing war had ended and they went back to talking about it. As she stepped inside, she found the others were already waiting for her, still mostly confused about what Kagome had planned for the night. With a mischievous grin, she walked over to each of them in turn, pulling their hair back into messy ponytails, before doing the same to her own.

"What was that for?" Sango questioned, confused as to why she took her hair out of the ponytail it was already in to redo it, watching as Kagome sat down next to her and pulled a small bag out of her haori. Kagome simply smirked as she began passing out candy to each of them before placing the first game, one of many she had brought back from the future before the well had been sealed, in the middle of their circle.

"You aren't supposed to look perfect on a sleep over. Usually when we had a sleep over back in modern day, my friends and I would all be sitting around in pajamas, our hair pulled back in crudely done buns or ponytails and would have face cream or masks on our faces. I guess you could say it was kinda like girls looking their worst, since it was only when you were around just girls that you didn't have to worry about looking your best," Kagome explained with a shrug, not entirely sure what she had said made sense, rather than just serving to confuse them more.

***

"No, no, move those futons closer together. They are the suport beams, then need to be able to hold everything up," Jaken instructed seeing the boys' handmade fort was beginning to tilt slightly. "There is too much weight being put on the front, balance it out across the top or the whole thing will collapse in the front," he continued, pointing to what he was referring to, and waited for them to fix it.

The boys grumbled a bit to themselves as they did what they were told. What was supposed to be a game was quickly turning into a lesson architecture, which was no where nearly as fun as it would have been if they were left to do things as they wanted, whether the fort ended up stable or not. "What are you doing? Don't put that there," Jaken practically yelled, startling Kohaku just as he was about to place Shippo's smaller futon on the side of the fort.

Rolling his eyes, Shippo pulled a small leaf from his pocket and placed it upon his head, transforming into the barely bigger form of Jaken. Standing behind him, as he instructed Kohaku on the correct placement for the futon, Shippo mimicked his movements, mouthing everything he said silently. Seeing his performance, Kohaku did his best not to laugh, hoping not to draw Jaken's attention to him, as the other two boys hid their giggles behind their hands.

"Are you listening to me, boy?" Jaken demanded when he realized Kohaku was no longer paying attention to him. "Pups these days know no respect for their elders," he grumbled to himself before clapping his hands in front of him, remaining his attention and going back to his explanation about why the futon needed to go where he said it did. Unknown to Jaken, behind him Shippo continued to mime out his actions, complete with clapping silently.

Just as Jaken began wagging his finger at Kohaku, and Shippo mimicked the action, Kohaku lost control and began laughing, holding onto his sides. Confused, as he did not remember saying anything that would have been that funny, Jaken glanced around to find out what he was laughing at and spotted Shippo still transformed into him. "Shippo!" Jaken bellowed as he chased after the younger demon, shaking his fist above his head.

Unable to prevent himself from giggling, Shippo lost his concentration and the spell was interrupted, causing him to go back to his true form as he ran around the hut, trying not to get caught be the enraged toad. Used to being chased by a much larger demon, mainly Inuyasha, Shippo didn't realize Jaken would be able to follow him into smaller spaces, and dived into the hut, thinking he could escape him. Only to find Jaken following after him a moment later.

Shrieking as Jaken caught up to him and grabbed his leg, preventing him for getting away, Shippo fought to get loose, worried what he would do in retaliation for his joke, and ended up knocking them both off blance and into the side of the fort. The futons began to sway before falling in opposite directions, dropping the top of the fort onto them. Quick to respond, Shippo transformed into a large, pink bubble and floated over Jaken just as the roof came crashing down.

Jaken lay prone on the floor, his eyes squeezed close as he waited for the impact, only to find that it never came. Confused, he opened his eyes to find Shippo floating above him, all of the debris resting on top of him. "You saved me," Jaken commented in amazement as he stared at him in shock. Unable to speak with so much weight on him, Shippo just smiled and waited for Jaken to get out before he collapsed, but the older demon just laid there.

"Can't hold for long," Shippo panted out as a drop of sweat slid down his face. As their predicament finally dawned on him, Jaken nodded his head as he turned over and began crawling back out, careful not to pump into Shippo so he wouldn't lose his balance. Finally able to stand up, Jaken turned back and reached for Shippo's hand, pulling him out as he transformed back and the materials crashed to the floor.

"Is everyone okay?" Kagome demanded as she rushed into the hut, having heard the crash from Kikyou's, the other girls following close behind her. She glanced over each of the boys, checking for any wounds they may have suffered, and finding none, turned toward Jaken in question. He finished dusting himself off before turning his attention to her.

"Everyone is fine, miko-san. We just had a small mishap with the fort. No need to worry, go back to enjoying your night. I have everything under control here," Jaken assured her as he pushed her toward the door and politely kicked her out. Shooing her and the others away, he closed the door and turned back to the boys. "Now do you understand why I was saying the fort needed to be sturdy?" he demanded before going back to instructing them on how to rebuild the fort.


	7. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all of its characters are property of the brilliant Takahashi-sama and I claim no ownership of them.

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AN: Round 4 only has one winner, as no one guessed on , so congrats to **Izzy** on Dokuga for the correct answer of 'Painter in the Woods'. This chapter is dedicated to you :). I will be uploading your winner banner in just a moment and will send you the link. Round five: "I think I wanted you just as much as I couldn't have you." Good luck all :).

***

Chapter 6:

"Good morning, Lady Kaede," Kagome greeted as the older woman crossed the threshold into her hut where Kagome was waiting for her. Kaede returned the greeting, though with none of her usual cheerfulness, which did not go unnoticed by Kagome and she turned toward the older priestess worried. "What's wrong?" she inquired concerned, seeing her face marred with annoyance. Kaede continued to grumble softly to herself, as she had been when she arrived, as she made her way over to the fire and took her usual seat next to it.

"Some of the villagers are having a problem with rodents and nothing we seem to do has been able to get rid of them. In fact, they just seem to be multiplying. I have spent this morning listening to everyone complain about them getting into the food storage, crewing holes into futons and constantly being under foot," Kaede explained with a sigh as she poured a cup of tea for both of them before handing Kagome hers.

"Strange, we haven't noticed any problem in our village and it's not that far away. I will talk to Sango about it though. Maybe she can use the same stuff she does to get rid of rat demons on them. I'll go talk to her now and let you know what she says," Kagome told her, taking a few sips of the hot tea before setting her cup down and making her way out of the hut. She would have preferred staying to finish it off, and talk more with Kaede, but figured it was better to get Sango started on the problem as soon as possible if she was able to.

Nodding her head in greeting to the villagers she passed, Kagome quickly made her way back toward their little village. Though as she met Sango on her way, she ended up not having to go very far. "I was just coming to see you," Kagome greeted with a smile as she stopped and waited for Sango to close the last few feet between them. "Lady Kaede says the village is having a rodent problem and I was wondering if you could use those smoke bombs you've used on rat demons before on regular rodents as well?"

"Yeah there should be no problem with it, in fact, it should be more effective on non-demon rodents since it is strong enough to work on demons. The only problem is I will have to pretty much smoke out the entire village, to make sure I got them all at once, and it won't be safe for the villagers to be there. I don't exactly have enough masks for everyone and the smoke isn't really safe for a large exposure. The villagers would have to leave for the entire day until the smoke had the chance to clear out," Sango informed her.

"Leave that to me, I have the perfect idea. I'll go inform Laed Kaede," Kagome told her with a smile as she turned and began heading back the way she had just come a few moments before. Sango watched her for a few moments before continuing on in the direction she had been going before running into Kagome. Kagome picked up the pace, wanting to relay the information to Kaede quickly, and soon enough, had arrived back at the hut.

Entering Kaede's hut once again, she found the elderly woman where she had left her and retook her seat next to the fire, picking up her still hot tea from where she had left it. Figuring it would not take her long to return, Kaede had left it there for her. "Sango says there shouldn't be any problem, but that everyone will have to leave the village while she's taking care of the problem. I was thinking that we could have a day long festival a little ways away from the village to keep everyone busy."

"That is a good idea, child. If ye would be willing to acquire some meat, it would be greatly appreciated," Kaede requested, knowing Kagome would soon ask if there was anything she could do to help, just as she always did. Kagome smiled at the older woman for knowing her so well before taking a few sips of her tea, savoring the slightly bitter flavor.

"Of course, I'll have the boys go out hunting later. The kids are going to be so excited when I tell them about the festival. It's been a long time since we had any festivities and they have been kinda down since the guys left," she told her with a slightly sadder smile, realizing she too had been a bit depressed since their departure, before turning her thoughts to the expressions they would have when she told them about it.

"I must warn ye, child, ye may run into problems during the festival. Already some of the villagers have complained about the number of demons living right outside of the village. Having them all in one place at the same time with the villagers may cause them to act out against the demons," Kaede warned her sadly. She knew everything Kagome's group had gone through to protect the villagers and just wished they would be a little more open to the demons.

"It shouldn't be too much of a problem, the villages don't mind Inuyasha," Kagome insisted before thinking about her words for a moment and deciding to clarify. "Well they put up with him anyways," Kagome said with a laugh, causing the older priestess to smile before becoming somber once again, wanting to make sure Kagome wouldn't be caught off guard if something happened during the festival.

"Aye, but it did take the villagers quite a while to get used to him. And ye must remember, child, not everyone is as accepting of demons as you are," Kaede reminded her softly as she picked up the tea pot and poured herself another cut before raising it in Kagome's direction, asking if she wanted more. Kagome declined with a smile.

"Well I guess you do have a point there," Kagome admitted, though the idea saddened her, she knew better than anyone that the average person's opinion of demons was not very good. "Would you mind warning the villagers that demons will be in attendance? I'll be there the entire time in case anything happens, but figure it might be a good idea to give them a heads up," Kagome decided and after receiving a nod from Kaede, she continued, "How long will you need to get everything set up?"

"We shall be able to have the preparations complete by tonight so we shall be able to start the festival first thing in the morning," Kaede replied and Kagome nodded her head with a smile. Giving Kaede a slight bow, she stood and began making her way out of the hut once again, heading toward home.

***

"Hey Jaken, can I speak to you for a moment?" Kagome requested as she made her way back into the village and found the toad demon trying to catch his breath after chasing after the children in a game of tag. Panting, Jaken glanced up at her and though he did not answer her, Kagome knew he was waiting for her to continue. "Can you take the boys out hunting? We could use a couple large game for tomorrow."

"What is tomorrow?" he questioned in between pants as he stared up at her in confusion. She gave him a secretive wink, before glancing around to make sure none of the children were within hearing distance and moved closer to him. Leaning down to whisper in his ear, Kagome missed the slight blush the covered his cheeks at her close proximity.

"We're going to hold a festival near Lade Kaede's village tomorrow, Sango's got to take care of a rodent problem and the village needs to be empty while she does it. I'm going to surprise the children with the news later, but don't want them distracted in their excitement while they try to hunt. Lady Kaede requested that we get some meat while she takes care of the rest," Kagome explained softly before raising back up to her full height.

"Very well I will see to it. I will leave Rin in your hands while we are gone," Jaken told her before turning and making his way over to where the children were still playing. Calling out for the boys to follow him, and telling Rin she was to stay with Kagome, Jaken began leading them into the dense forest surrounding their village, disappearing quickly. Annoyed at being left behind again, Rin made her way over to Kagome with a pout.

Before she had the chance to complain, Kagome smiled at her as she held out her hand to her and began leading her over to the fire where Sango and Kikyou were sitting in comfortable silence. Taking her seat across from them, and gesturing for Rin to do the same, she turned her attention to her. "Don't feel bad about being left out Rin, cause the boys are being left out of this conversation for now," she told her with a smile before turning toward the two older women.

"Lady Kaede has agreed to hold a festival tomorrow to keep the villagers out of town while Sango gets rid of the rodents. I have sent Jaken and the boys out hunting, as she said they would be needing meat, but that she will take care of everything else. All of us, will of course be going," she assured as she turned back to Rin and watched as the girl's face lit up with a smile.

"A festival? We get to go to a festival?" Rin questioned and Kagome nodded her head in response. "Can I get a gift for Lord Sesshoumaru?" Rin continued, once again receiving a nod. "And Master Jaken? And Souta-kun? And Ah-Un? And will there be dancing? And food? And flowers?" Rin demanded causing the three older girls to giggle at her enthusiasm.

"I'm sure I've got enough money for everyone to get however many gifts they want to. There will be dancing and food and most likely flowers as well," Kagome assured her with a smile. "Now I've got to talk to Sango about her exterminating the rodent problem and I doubt you would enjoy this conversation, why don't you go pick some flowers to bring with you tomorrow. Just stay within the clearing so I can see you, alright?" Kagome instructed and watched as she nodded her head vigorously before taking off in search of the aforementioned flowers.

"So what's the truth?" Sango inquired after making sure Rin was no longer within hearing range and turning back to Kagome. "I some how doubt you wanted Rin away from the conversation just to talk about the rodents," Sango elaborated, knowing that if Kagome hadn't wanted one of the children to overhear, the upcoming conversation was not going to be pretty.

"Lady Kaede told me she is worried about how the villagers will react to having so many demons at the festival with them. Apparently there have been some complaints about having our group so close to the village, especially with the demons we've added. She's worried they might cause problems tomorrow, but I am not willing to make the children miss out on this. Right now they really need a day where all they have time to think about is fun."

"I will help you play mediator tomorrow, between the two of us, I am sure we can keep things civil," Kikyou assured her with a soft smile. Even though the thought of going to a festival sounded like a great idea, she knew pressing the demons onto the villagers all at once would not be a good idea and would only lead to problems. But, at the same time, she understood why Kagome refused to relent on the idea. The younger priestess wasn't exactly known for letting people get away with discriminating against demons.

"I don't really see the villagers going against you two, they should know by now that with you two there, no demon is ever going to harm them, but I will also be there once I am done with the village. So I'll be able to help as well. I doubt we will have to deal with much more than a few scathing remarks though, the villagers know what we have all done for them, even if they are scared," Sango insisted in a calming voice, hoping Kagome and Kikyou wouldn't worry too much about it as they too needed a day of fun.

"Thanks guys," Kagome said with a smile, truly grateful for having them here with her. She knew she would never be able to go through a lot, if not everything she had, if she wasn't surrounded by close friends. Everyone thought she was strong, but truthfully, it was them that made her that way, because they were there to lean on and help pick up the slack. "Do you need any help getting your stuff ready for tomorrow?" she inquired as she turned her full attention to Sango, remembering there were still things to deal with before she could relax.

"Nope, I just have to grab the smoke bombs out of a crate in my hut when it's time to go. Until the boys return, you can relax," Sango assured her, somehow knowing what her friend had been thinking. Though truthfully it wasn't too hard to figure out, Kagome always worried over details that weren't her responsibility. Kagome responded with a smile before turning her attention away from her as she saw Rin making her way back over, a large bundle of flowers, far bigger than she should be able to carry, in her arms.

"Youbo-san, can I make flower crowns to give out to everyone tomorrow?" Rin inquired with large 'puppy' eyes as she stopped next to her and gestured to the flowers. Kagome laughed at Rin's expression before nodding her head and patted the ground next to her. Smiling, Rin plopped down, dropping the flowers in front of her, before grabbing a couple and getting to work on the first crown. "Do you want to help?" she inquired as she glanced up at them, still smiling. A nod and two shrugs later, the girls each grabbed a few flowers from the pile and started on their own crowns.


	8. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all of its characters are property of the brilliant Takahashi-sama and I claim no ownership of them.

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AN: Only one winner for round 5, gratz to Sysclp for the correct answer of Midnight Conversations. I'll be sending you the link to your banner as soon as I am done posting this. This chapter is dedicated to you :). Round 6: "Like I said before, it was in the script." Good luck everyone.

The edited chapters have been posted, I'd recommend reading the previous chapters as I've added a couple of really cute scenes and it now sounds much better than before.

Chapter 7

"You ready to go, Sango?" Kagome inquired with a smile as she glanced up from her spot next to the fire when she heard her exiting her hut. Sango shielded her eyes from the dawning sun as she made her way over to Kagome, unable to see her due to the glare. "Kikyou's going to watch the children while I'm gone, since I'll be going with you to see if Lady Kaede needs any help," Kagome explained when Sango stopped in front of her and gave her a confused look.

"Ah, yeah I'm ready to go," Sango told her with a smile and waited for Kagome to stand and begin making her way toward the village before following after her. "Looks like today was the perfect day for a festival, there's not a cloud in sight," Sango pointed out as she gestured to the clear sky above. "Would have put a serious damper on our fun if it rained today," she continued as they slowly made their way toward Kaede's village, in no real hurry since they had left so early.

"No kidding, especially since all places to go to get out of the rain are either in her village or ours, and ours isn't big enough to hold all of the villagers, not to mention our pack as well. I'll head to Lady Kaede's from here while you go start setting up," Kagome told her with a smile, seeing they had arrived in the village, as she waved to Sango and picked up her speed as she made her way through town toward the older priestess's hut.

"Wonder if Lady Kaede cleared everyone out already?" Kagome thought out loud to herself as she realized she didn't see a single person the entire time she had been in the village. Pushing back the curtain that hung in the doorway, Kagome poked her head in to find the room empty, even the fire had grown cold. Shrugging as she went to search out the elder, Kagome smiled as she heard the voice of the woman she was looking for and began making her way over toward her.

As she rounded the hut, she spotted Kaede speaking with a few of the villagers and began making her way over toward her. "I shall be there in a few moments," Kaede assured the villages as she gestured away from the village, no doubt in the direction they had set up the festival, and watched as they began heading where she had indicated before turning toward Kagome with a smile. "Good morning, child. Should ye not be heading to the festival yourself?"

"Wanted to make sure you didn't need help with anything before I got the children ready to go. Though by the look of things, you guys have everything taken care of already," Kagome replied, returning the older woman's smile as she gestured toward the empty village around them. "I take it there is nothing left to carry over there?" she questioned as she turned back toward Kaede who shook her head.

"Nay, child, the villagers have already taken care of everything. That was the last group still within the village so ye may tell Sango she can begin when she is ready. I shall be heading there myself now. Ye and thee others may join us whenever ye are ready," Kaede told her before bidding her goodbye and heading away from the village. Kagome watched until she was no longer in sight, before turning and making her way to where Sango was.

Spotting the demon slayer on her hands and knees, reaching under one of the huts to place a smoke bomb, Kagome jogged over to her. "The village is clear, you can set them off whenever you are ready. Will you need any help placing them?" Kagome inquired, seeing the large, mostly full bag at Sango's waist. Receiving a negative answer, the sound muffled by Sango's mask, she continued, "Alright I will head back and get the children ready to go. I will take everyone well around the village so you don't have to worry about us getting too close."

Sango reached her hand behind her, giving Kagome a 'thumb's up' before turning her full attention back to her task at hand. Bidding her a quick goodbye, Kagome turned and began jogging her way back to the village, sure the children would be up by now and driving Kikyou crazy with questions of when they would be leaving. As it was, Kagome had, had enough problems getting them to bed the night before after telling them about the festival.

Just as she had suspected, the moment she arrived in the clearing, she caught sight of Kikyou being bombarded by the children, each one asking a dozen questions at the same time. Unable to stop herself, Kagome giggled at the almost fearful expression on Kikyou's face, clearly showing her inexperience in dealing with so many kids at the same time, alerting her presence to them. She could almost hear Kikyou breathe a sigh of relief as the children turned their attention and questions to Kagome.

Returning Kikyou's grateful look with one of amusement, Kagome turned her attention toward the children who were now jumping up and down in front of her. "Yes we can go now, however!" Kagome called out when the children started to dash away from her before she could finish. "You have to stay with the adults. I do not need you guys running off in different directions. So if you don't wish to be sitting in time out while everyone else is having fun, I suggest you do not leave my side until told otherwise."

Seeing they were going to listen, even if it was impatiently, Kagome turned toward Jaken and Kikyou to see if they were ready to leave. Seeing they were, she began leading everyone out of the village, making sure to stay far away from the village as she had assured Sango, only paying a little attention to the children's incessant questions which had started back up the moment they began moving.

***

As they arrived in the clearing with the villagers, and the children saw how everything had been set up, their eyes lit up and Kagome could see them beginning to get antsy. They obviously wanted to run around discovering everything there was to do, but the threat of being put in time out still loomed over their heads, gluing them to her side. Giggling at their expressions of anticipation, Kagome gestured for them to go play, watching as they sped away without a second thought.

Keeping an eye on them, Kagome turned her attention to the villagers, already noticing the dirty looks Daichi and Jaken were receiving. Deciding since they were already used to Shippo, she wouldn't have to worry about him as much, she figured she would watch out for the other two demons. Daichi, the child he is, seemed to take no notice of what was going on as he ran around sniffing at each of the stalls to see what each one held.

Jaken on the other hand, sighed softly to himself as he watched to make sure the villagers did no more than just glare at the young heir and himself. "Ignore the looks Jaken, just keep your head up," Kagome whispered to him with a smile as she laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "The villagers simply do not know you two like we do, or they would love you like I do," she assured him as she moved away and headed toward where Daichi was sniffing at a barrel of apples.

"I love this game," Kagome told Daichi as she stopped next to him and caught the young demon's attention. "What you do is stick your head in and try to grab an apple using only your teeth," she explained as she held her long braid out of the way and dunked her head into the water to demonstrate. As she bobbed her head around inside of the barrel, she tried to bite into one of the apples with her teeth, but eventually gave up when her face began freezing without any luck.

Smiling at Kaede as she handed her a towel, Kagome dried off her face before turning to watch Daichi as he attempted to mimic her actions. Within moments, he lifted his head back up with an apple deeply embedded by his fangs and turned to show Kagome his prize. "Guess it's much easier with sharp fangs," Kagome admitted with a laugh, watching as he shook like a dog to rid himself of the water. Not really interested in eating his prize, Daichi gave it to Kagome before taking off to try out another game. "Thanks," Kagome called after him with a laugh before taking a bite out of the apple.

Missing the disgusted look from one of the villagers, for eating something after it had been in a demon's mouth, Kagome followed after Daichi to explain the next game to him. "Souta-kun look at this, ooh and this, and this and this," Rin chanted as she pulled him by the hand from stall to stall, not really giving the poor boy the chance to see what she was wanting him to see before they had already moved on. Figuring it didn't matter since she was having fun, Souta simply allowed her to pull him around at her own pace.

Hearing Rin's excited chatter, pulled Jaken from his daze, turning his attention to them. Giving up on trying to make sense of Kagome's words, and realizing they were getting away from them, Jaken began to chase after the two. Watching the amusing scene they created from the edge of the clearing, hiding her smile behind her hand, Kikyou turned her attention away from the trio and began making her way over to where Kagome was currently explaining another game to Daichi and Shippo, who had since joined them.

Though most of the villagers paid little attention to the demons that were running around giggling, a small group of older men stood to the side, glaring openly at the oblivious children. Their insulting comments about having demons at their festival, though unheard by the kids who's attention was too wrapped up in games and objects for sell, did not go unnoticed by the adults of the pack, who turned worried glances toward Kagome.

***

Watching for a moment to make sure the smoke that was rising from the huts would completely cover the village, Sango threw on her kimono over her battle armor. Satisfied with her work, she turned and began heading in the direction she knew the festival had been set up in. It wasn't long before she stepped into the clearing, quickly seeing they were beginning to pass out food. "Just in time," she said to herself with a smile as her stomach growled.

As she made her way over to where Kagome had the children sitting, handing them each a plate as fast as she could prepare it, she couldn't help but hear a villager's insulting remarks. "Why do we have to eat with those filthy demons? It's enough to make anyone lose their appetite," he spat, completely ignoring the gasps from the other villagers as well as the children. "Just because they dirty themselves with the company they keep, doesn't mean we should have to," he continued as he gestured to Kagome and Kikyou.

Sango felt the rage boiling within her, wondering how far humans had fallen if they would say things like that in front of children, and fought the urge to give the man a piece of her mind. Things would work far better if she allowed Kagome to take care of it, and really, as their alpha, it was her job. Seeing Kikyou was about to speak up, Sango caught her attention and with a smile, shook her head. Seeing Kikyou's confused look, she gestured to Kagome and began softly counting down from ten as she made her way over and took her seat beside Kikyou.

Unsure as to why Sango had stopped her, Kikyou watched Kagome as she began drawing in long, deep breaths before finally rising to her feet. Squaring her shoulders, she turned toward the villager that had spoken, just as Sango had reached one. "Perhaps, sir, you have forgotten how many times someone with demon blood has saved this village. About how many, if not every villager here, was saved at one time or another by a member of my group. And just maybe, you do not know that the meat you do not wish to eat in the presence of demons, was in fact caught by those very demons," Kagome began, speaking in a soft, sweet tone.

Raising her voice slightly, her tone becoming cold, she continued, "Perhaps this is so. You can choose to eat or not, truthfully it doesn't matter to me either way, but you will not prevent my family from being able to enjoy a meal they worked hard to get. Nor will you disturb their fun today, especially since the whole reason for this festival is to keep everyone out of town while a member of my family exterminates the rats so you villagers won't get sick. A festival, which just so happens to have been my idea."

Taking a deep breath, allowing her voice to turn as cold as she could manage, Kagome practically screamed, "Never again treat anyone as if they are beneath you simply because they are different. If I ever catch you being prejudice against another demon, simply because they aren't human, you will seriously regret it. Now," she paused to take a deep breath, looking each of the men that had been complaining amongst each other since they had arrived, before continuing in a quieter voice. "Now you each owe those with demon blood an apology this instant and if you do not give them willing, be sure I will make you."

The entire festival fell into silence as everyone waited to see how they would respond to her warning, none of them used to Kagome becoming so angry or raising her voice to anyone other than Inuyasha. And even then, they had never heard her speak to anyone so coldly. Finally each of the men mumbled an apology, and Kagome thought about telling them to say it like they meant it, but decided to let it lie for now. As the group turned to move away from the crowd, the man who had been the one speaking, shot Kagome a dirty look over his shoulder.


	9. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all of its characters are property of the brilliant Takahashi-sama and I claim no ownership of them.

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AN: Winners for round 6 are TruGemini, Indigo_Miko and Bookpotato795 for the correct answer of Inuyasha Anonymous, counting three this time since the last one only had one winner. Congrats you three and this chapter is dedicated to you. Round 7: "This is supposed to be a piece of art not a piece of pornography.", good luck :).

Chapter 8

It was late into the night when the festival began dwindling down, the villagers becoming anxious to return to their homes. Sango had headed toward the village to ensure the smoke had completely cleared while the rest of the pack headed home. Kagome had offered to stay and help clean up, but Kaede insisted that they had done more than their share and should go home and rest. Though Kagome had agreed with her, she knew it was not the real reason Kaede had left them out of the cleaning duty.

As the night had worn on, the demons had received more looks of distrust and hatred, though the villagers wisely kept quiet. She knew Kaede did not blame it on them, and in fact wanted to spare them from anymore dirty looks by sending them home, but it left Kagome feeling as though things were unfinished. It urked her to no end to leave things the way there were, but at the moment she had more important things to worry about, such as getting the still hyper children ready for bed.

The group was mostly quiet, other than the slight chatter from the children telling each other what they had done during the festival, until Daichi turned question filled silver eyes to Kagome. "Why did the villagers act like that? Did we do something to make them hate us?" he wondered confused, unable to figure out why the villagers had been giving him dirty looks all day when it had been the first time he had met most of them.

"No, Daichi, you did not do anything to make them act like that. Humans have a tendency to fear what is different from them, for no other reason than it is something they are not used to, and it tends to make them act like jerks. Do not pay any attention to what people say or the looks they give you when they are acting like that, because the truth is the problem isn't with you, it's with them. They are simply scared and fear makes people stupid.

"There is absolutely nothing wrong with you being a demon, or me being human for that matter. The things that make us different, is what makes us more interesting. Think about it, if everyone in the entire world was completely identical, the world would be very boring," Kagome pointed out as they arrived in the clearing that housed the pack's huts and she lead the children into hers as Jaken and Kikyou made their way over to the long cold camp fire.

Amazingly, Kagome was able to get the children to lay down easily enough, though she had the feeling they would be up talking to each other the moment she stepped out of the hut, but figured as long as they were quiet and went to bed soon, she would pretend she didn't know about it. Making her way back out of the hut, she found Sango had returned and had joined the others around the now blazing fire. Smiling, Kagome made her way over and took her usual spot.

"I do not understand, miko-san, how is it you do not see the differences between humans and demons? How is it you can group us all together in your mind?" Jaken questioned, turning everyone's attention to the futuristic priestess. Though the other girls had long ago accepted demons as their friends and loved ones, they had always wondered how she was able to just accept them completely, practically from the moment they met.

"The time I am from, while it may not be perfect, there are a lot fewer problems with discrimination than there is in this era. And you have to remember that I grew up in a world without demons, to us they were a mere fairytale. I," she began only to pause for a moment to sigh before continuing, "Truthfully I have no idea why. All I know is that to me there is no such thing as humans or demons or half demons.

"There is just Jaken, Kikyou, Sango, Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru, Rin, Souta, Kohaku, Kirara, Shippo, Miroku, Ah-Un, Daichi and myself. Everyone's race, gender, religion, the color of their skin or even their species doesn't make them who they are. Who they are on the inside does and it is the only thing that should matter. People should be judged based on their actions and their ability to evolve, not on things they had no control over.

"The Kami made everyone different for a reason and being unique is a blessing, not a curse. Anyone who judges others based on their differences, aren't worth talking to in my opinion." Her passionate rant over, Kagome drew in a deep breath as she tried to calm down. The reaction from the villagers had upset her more than she had let on to the others, though she was sure they knew now due to her little out burst.

The group remained silent for a few moments as each thought over her words until Jaken spoke up, shattering the hush that had fallen over them. "Did you mean what you said before, miko-san?" he inquired confusing her, as she couldn't understand why he might think she was lying about anything she had just said. Apparently understanding her confusion, he elaborated, "Back in the village, about loving...all of us."

Deciding to ignore his little slip up to save him the embarrassment, knowing he had been about to say 'him', Kagome smiled reassuringly at him. "Of course I did, Jaken. Every member of our family, our pack is irreplaceable and I love each and every one of you," she insisted before smiling at the girls, who had caught his slip up as well if their expressions were any indication. Though much like Kagome had done, they decided to not call any attention to it.


	10. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all of its characters are property of the brilliant Takahashi-sama and I claim no ownership of them.

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AN: Congrats to the winners of round 7, with the correct answer of 'Painting for me', **TruGemini** and Nami James, this chapter is dedicated to you :). I'll be sending the link to your banners in just a moment. Round 8: "It is about lust, sensuality, your animalistic desires, the urge to sate your eroticism." Good luck.

I realize this chapter is rather short, however, I have been rather busy this week and for the next scene coming up, I'd rather have the entire week to work on it. So I went ahead and cut this chapter a bit shorter than originally intended.

Chapter 9

Kagome grumbled to herself as she began making her way back from a very unproductive meeting with Kaede. It had been well over a month since the festival and she had hoped the construction for the school building had been well underway, only to learn that they hadn't even started gathering the necessary materials for it. The villagers, of course, claimed that they simply did not have the time right now, but she knew better.

She knew that it was because of what had happened at the festival and began to wonder if they were ever going to start on the building or if she should just give up waiting and do it herself. The only problem with that was she had no idea where to even begin when it came to construction, Inuyasha and the others had always taken care of that. Unsure of what she should do at the moment, Kagome decided to put thoughts about the school out of her mind for now.

Seeing she had arrived back in her village, Kagome began making her way over to where Jaken was sitting next to the fire, keeping one eye on the kids that were playing nearby. "Jaken," she called out, quickly getting his attention before greeting him with a smile. "Lady Kaede has asked me to go collect some herbs for her and we're almost out ourselves. So I'll be gone for a while," she informed him as she gestured to the herb pouch at her waist.

"Very well miko-san, I will continue to watch the children while you are away," Jaken assured her before he turned his attention back to the kids. Giving him a nod, not caring that his back was turned and he couldn't see it, Kagome, grabbing her bow and quiver, continued on her way out of the village, heading toward the surrounding forest in search of herbs. She figured, at the very least, it would keep her mind off of the ignorance of the villagers and the fact that she was missing the absent members of her pack.

Almost instantly spotting the first herb she was needing, Kagome quickly picked it and added it to her pouch before moving on. Positive no demons would come so close to a village that was saturated in the auras of so many other demons, including a powerful Taiyoukai, and since she had her bow in case any were stupid enough to attempt something, Kagome paid little mind to her surroundings, allowing herself to completely concentrate on what she was doing.

It wasn't until her pouch was overflowing and the sky began to darken, heralding the coming dusk, that she turned and began making her way back toward the village. Before she was able to move more than a few steps, a large demonic presence filled the forest around her, stopping her in her tracks. Pinpointing its location, coming from behind her, Kagome quickly turned on her heel even as she pulled her bow off her shoulder and notched an arrow. The sight that greeted her almost caused her to loosen her grip until she decided it wasn't possible.

"You're illusion skills are pretty good, I'll give you that, but there's no way he would be here. So why don't you drop the spell and show your true face," she suggested, though it was more like a command, as she kept the arrow aimed straight at him. Instead of answering, he simply glanced from the bow to her before raising an eyebrow in question. "Did your homework did you? What are you? A fox demon? I can't think of any others who's illusions are so realistic.

"Alright if you want to pretend to be him so much, pop quiz. One wrong answer and I shoot you," Kagome warned gesturing to the still ready arrow before turning her attention back to him. "Who pulled the Tetsusaiga out of Inu no Taisho's tomb?" she inquired, ignoring his confused look at the term 'pop quiz'. She was about ready to threaten to shoot him again when he finally answered that she did. "One down. Many years ago the real one saved my life after I was attacked by a member of the band of seven, which one was it?"

"Mukotsu the poison master," he replied instantly without having to think about the answer. She gave him a slight nod in response before worrying her lip in thought. She realized it wouldn't be all that hard for someone else to have gotten the information, considering how many people had first hand knowledge of it. In order to make him give up his little game, she needed to come up with a question that there was no way he could have gotten the answer from a third party.

Kagome smirked to herself as the perfect question came to mind. There were only two people in the world that knew the answer, herself of course being one of them, and she seriously doubted he would have told anyone else. "Before he left, the real Sesshoumaru said when he returned he had a question for me, what was it?" Even as she asked the question, she hoped the little game would be up soon as she was already starting to lose her grip on the arrow.

If she released the arrow unintentionally, she doubted it would stay on its course and depending on how quick he was, the demon might be able to get to her before she could ready another arrow. Just as her fingers began to sweat, causing the arrow to begin slipping out of her grasp, he answered, "To be my mate." Knowing with complete certainty there was no way for someone besides the two of them to know the answer, Kagome dropped her bow, the arrow falling harmlessly to the ground, as she rushed over toward him.

"Why are you here? I some how doubt the war is over already," she insisted as she wrapped her arms around him, not caring if he minded the invasion of his personal space as there was no one around to witness it. Instead of answering immediately, he wrapped his own arms around her and embraced her tightly. "You have no idea how much we miss you guys," she told him as she pressed her face against his shoulder and breathed him in deeply.

"No the war is no where near close to over, a group of demons broke off from the main battle and came too close to our village. I am simply here to get rid of them and felt your presence once my task was complete. Though I assure you, we know just how much you all miss us, the feeling is mutual," Sesshoumaru insisted before stepping back out of the embrace just far enough that he could gaze into her umber eyes. "Is your answer still the same?"

"Of course, Sesshoumaru, it's just that I am not ready yet. I thought I would have more time," she explained, some how understanding where he was heading without him having to say so. As much as she wanted to be mated to him, even at that moment, she knew that she still had some growing up to do in order to be able to deal with all that it entailed. Considering the farthest she had even gone was kissing, it was not too surprising that certain things still caused her to blush.

"Exactly what part are you not ready for?" Sesshoumaru inquired after a few moments of silence, already seeing the light red tint that appeared on her cheeks. Unable to voice the problem, Kagome simply stuttered as her face turned brighter. Understanding dawning on him, Sesshoumaru smirked causing her blush to deepen. "We can mate without that particular step," he explained softly causing her to give him a confused look.

"There are in fact two steps to mating, though only one is really the mating itself. The copulation is usually considered to be part of it because they are normally linked, however, the actual mating is simply the merging of our auras. Many times, those of noble birth are mated as pups and simply complete the second part once they reach adulthood," he explained softly and seeing the question in her eyes, he continued, "I was not mated as a pup because my mother never found any one she deemed worthy of her son."


	11. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all of its characters are property of the brilliant Takahashi-sama and I claim no ownership of them.

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NOTE: Nothing new, just had to fix a few of the chapters that were not set up right. Chapter six and seven was the same chapter, and one of the earlier ones was missing completely.

AN: Congrats to the winners of round 8, TruGemini and Nami James, for the correct answer of Of Time Kept Frozen, this chapter is dedicated to you :). I'll be sending you the links for your banner in just a minute. Round 9:"Why is everything pink!?" Good luck.

Chapter 10

"So what exactly do we need to do?" Kagome questioned after a few moments of silence had passed between them and she turned toward Sesshoumaru with a shy smile. A year ago she never could have imagined she would be standing here, about to become mated to him. Even now she found herself wondering if it was all a dream, that none of this was real. How could it be? She was some unknown girl from the future and he was a demon lord.

It was the kind of thing one usually only read about in romance novels. While a girl like her may fall in love with someone like him, it wasn't usually mutual. Not in real life anyways. "Are you certain you are ready? I will wait however long you need me to. I would rather not rush you and have you regret it later," Sesshoumaru insisted as he took a hold of her chin and gazed into her umber eyes, seeing uncertainty within their depths.

"I am sure, Sesshoumaru, it is the copulation, as you called it, that I am not ready for. If the mating can be done without it, then there is nothing I want more," Kagome assured him with a bright smile as she placed her hand over his. Giving her a slight nod, Sesshoumaru clasped her hand and began leading her deeper into the woods where he knew a hot springs was waiting. It was not long before they reached their destination.

Releasing her hand, Sesshoumaru began to undress, causing Kagome to turn around as a slight blush rose on her cheeks. "We must wear no more than our under garments," he told her as he neatly folded up his haori and set it off to the side. Though she continued to look away, to both prevent herself from seeing anything she wasn't ready to and to help hid her ever deepening blush, Kagome did as instructed and began removing her clothing.

When she had finished and her priestess garbs were folded neatly nearby, she finally worked up the nerve to turn back to him and found him standing there, wearing only a loincloth, holding his hand out for her to take. Leading her into the hot, inviting water, Sesshoumaru explained, "The water will amplify our auras, making our mating easier. The less we have between us and Nature, the better it will work. Usually both parties involved are demons and it is not needed."

Hearing a soft 'sorry', Sesshoumaru closed the distance between them and grabbed her chin gently, forcing her to look directly in his golden orbs. "Never apologize for who you are," he insisted, earning a grateful smile in return. "Are you ready?" he questioned after a moment and seeing a slight nod from Kagome, he continued, "Allow your powers to flow from your body." Seeing her concerned expression, he some how understood what was bothering her.

"Your powers will not hurt me. They are to harm or heal as you wish. It is untrue that a priestess or priest's powers are meant to destroy demons, they could just as easily heal them, it is just that they choose to harm rather than to heal," Sesshoumaru explained and, seeing she believed him, he gave her a whisper of a smile, which she returned in spades. Giving her a slight nod to begin, Sesshoumaru watched as her powers began to flow from her body.

After a moment, his own began joining hers. Their auras swirled up around them, covering them in a dome of demonic and holy powers, sparks of light flying through it as the two opposing factors circle each other. As she continued to watch in silence, awed by what she was witnessing, her own pink aura embraced Sesshoumaru, covering him in a slight glow even as his white aura did the same to her. "It's so beautiful," she whispered softly.

"I am sure it is, but it pales in comparison to my view," he told her, whispering softly as she had done, as though any loud noise might disrupt the light show going on around them. Kagome smiled shyly at him, but as their powers shot up toward the peak of the dome, she began to become afraid. "Do not fear them, neither aura will hurt either of us," he assured her as he took her smaller hands in his own stronger ones and began to gently caress them with his thumbs.

Giving him a slight nod, so he would know she heard him, Kagome glanced up at the sky to continue watching the once in a lifetime sight. The auras began to merge above them, before flying down to circle them, illuminating them an eerily beautiful glow. "What's going on?" she questioned, her voice still coming out in a soft whisper as she became memorized by the lights and found herself unable and unwilling to speak any louder.

"Our auras are trying to find a balance between our powers so, combined, they will have an equal amount from both of us," he explained as their auras continued to circle around them. After a few moments, their auras finished their dance and began to reenter their bodies. His white aura now littered with streaks of pink and hers with white.

"It feels so warm," Kagome whispered as she felt her aura embracing her from within. Instead of answering, Sesshoumaru leaned down and kissed her lightly on the lips, drawing her attention back to him. Unable to do anything else, Kagome smiled brightly at him, squeezing the hands that she held onto hers.

"I must return now, but I will know immediately if you are ever in trouble. My aura will now urn to protect my mate, as will yours," he told her as he embraced her, finally releasing her hands. As he stepped back, Kagome placed her hands on his chest, standing on her tippy toes, and, wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled him toward her locking her lips with his. After a long, deep kiss, which she knew would leave him wanting to get home quickly, Kagome released him and stepped back.

"Hurry home so you can be where you belong," she told him, fighting the urge to keep him there, knowing he had to see the war through before he could return for good. Giving her another ghost of a smile, Sesshoumaru kissed her temple before turning and getting out of the hot springs. As she watched, already missing him too much to worry about embarrassment, he quickly dressed and, with a slight nod to her, he disappeared into the forest.

Kagome watched until he could no longer be seen before sinking into the hot springs, hoping the hot water would camouflage her tears. He had only been gone for a few seconds and already she was missing him. Kagome had no idea how she was ever going to get through the long wait without him. If she thought it was bad before they were mates, now being separated was complete torture. As she sank further into the water, she tried to remember how it felt to have his arms wrapped around her, hoping it would give her at least some small comfort.


	12. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all of its characters are property of the brilliant Takahashi-sama and I claim no ownership of them.

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Chapter 11

AN: Congrats to Inulover and Indigo_Miko for the correct answer of Sheer Cruelty/Ch-ch-changes. Going for two on Dokuga, since no one guessed on ffnet. This chapter is dedicated to you and I will send the link for your winner's banner in just a moment. Round 10: "And Inuyasha? He just lost everything." Should be pretty easy :), good luck everyone. A bit of lemony goodness in this chapter :). And special thanks to Serenity for pointing out the mistakes with the chapters. It's all fixed now :).

***

Deciding it would be best to leave before she pruned too much, Kagome slowly climbed out of the warm inviting water, wishing she had her towel with her to dry off as the cooling air bit against her skin, causing her to shiver. Using her hands to wipe away as much of the water as she could, Kagome quickly dressed back in her priestess garments, ringing out her hair and tying it up in a messy bun just to keep it from soaking her back.

Shivering once again from the cold, she grabbed her herb bag and began quickly making her way back toward their village. She had been gone far longer than she had intended and worried the others would start to wonder about where she was. The last thing she wanted to do was cause her pack to worry unnecessarily about her when what had kept her busy had been a good thing, both for her and for them. Their alphas were now mated, strengthening their pack even more so than it had already been.

As she followed the twisting path around trees and underbrush back to the village, Kagome put her mating to Sesshoumaru out of her mind. She knew it would only cause her to miss him if she thought about it now and she wanted this day to end on a happy note, not a sad one. Squaring her shoulders and forcing a real smile onto her face, Kagome broke through the tree line into the village, finding the others preparing dinner around the fire.

As she opened her mouth to greet them and apologize for taking so long, Kikyou grabbed her bow and turned it on her before she could speak, an arrow notched and ready to be fired. Confused, as she didn't sense a demon behind her or anywhere near the camp for her to be getting ready to fight, Kagome could only stare at her in confusion. After a long tense moment, Kagome realized Kikyou was looking directly at her with a dark glare, not at some unseen danger.

"Who are you?!" Kikyou demanded, startling the rest of the pack around her as they all turned to try and figure out why she was pointing an arrow at Kagome. As Sango went to stop her, Kikyou snapped at her, "That's not Kagome's aura. That is a demonic aura. It is a demon pretending to be our alpha." Had the situation been different, Kagome would have laughed at the irony. It was the same thing she had accused Sesshoumaru of being just a while earlier.

"She is not a demon," Daichi popped up from where he was playing with the other children, giving the air a quick sniff in Kagome's direction before turning back to Kikyou. "She just mated one," he explained before tagging Souta and running away. Hearing his words, Kagome blushed up to her ears as this had not been the way she wanted to inform everyone and turned her head away, unable to look any of them in the eye because of her embarrassment.

"Oh," Kikyou whispered as she lowered the bow and gave Kagome a sheepish look. "Sorry Kagome, but how did you mate Sesshoumaru when he is gone? I mean, it was Sesshoumaru right?" she inquired as she sat back down next to the fire to go back to tending their meal. Hoping her face wasn't a complete tomato anymore, Kagome sighed and began making her way over toward them, taking her usual seat near the fire.

"Of course it was Sesshoumaru," she insisted, rolling her umber eyes at Kikyou, undisturbed by the fact that she couldn't see the action with her head down. "A few demons had broken off from the battle and come out this way. Sesshoumaru was here dealing with them, well the rest I will explain when the children aren't in ear shot. Now the real question is why there was no power behind your arrow Kikyou? I felt no holy powers coming from you at all," Kagome pointed out, gesturing to the forgotten bow and arrow.

"I am not sure, Kagome. They simply would not come out when I called them. I figured it was because it was really you and my powers knew better than I did and would not allow me to hurt you, or perhaps another human entirely," Kikyou replied with a shrug as she turned her attention away from the dinner she was cooking to glance at Kagome. Kagome worried her bottom lip as she thought over the possibilities for a moment.

Some how the answers just didn't seem right to her, as she knew first hand that priestesses could turn their bows on other priestesses or even humans, having been at the business end of Kikyou's more than once, not that she wanted to remind her of this. And if those weren't the answer, there was only one other she could think of that might disrupt her power flow. Doing a quick calculation in her head, Kagome turned back to Kikyou after a moment.

"I think you need to go have Lady Kaede examine you, though if it is what I think it is, it's nothing to worry about," she reassured Kikyou when she began to look apprehensive. Seeing her words had not quite reassured her, Kagome decided to explain her thoughts completely so she wouldn't worry unnecessarily. "I think you are pregnant, Kikyou. It's the only thing that really makes sense. No doubt your powers won't work because they would harm the demon blood of the child if they did.

"And you have not bled since right after you mated Inuyasha," she told her only to be met with a confused look from both Kikyou and Sango. "You get rather grouchy during that time, that's how I know," Kagome explained with a laugh missing the slight look of realization that passed, not only, over Kikyou's face, but Sango's as well. "Unfortunately, I do not know how to do the exam to confirm, and I doubt it would be a good idea to do it yourself, so Lady Kaede will need to do it."

"I will go with you, Kikyou. I should probably be examined myself," Sango admitted, a slight blush rising to her cheeks as she stood and helped Kikyou up as well. "Do you mind taking care of dinner for us so we can go now? I'd rather not put this off any longer than we have to. The sooner we know one way or the other, the better," Sango insisted with a smile as she dusted herself off.

"Of course, go ahead. I will see to dinner," Kagome assured them, watching as they disappeared toward Kaede's village after giving her grateful smiles. Having been tired out by the children, Jaken took a seat next to Kagome, simply sitting there for a few moments as she tended to the meal before sighing heavily. "What is wrong Jaken? Kids tire you out so much that you're sighing?" Kagome questioned as she sat back and turned toward him with a smile.

"No, I am merely thinking about how I will be dealing with another two pups if they are indeed pregnant. I know nothing of human infants, Rin was much older before we met her. What am I supposed to do with two more lives to take care of and keep safe?" he questioned as he turned toward her with such a terrified look that Kagome couldn't help but laugh. Jaken huffed before sending her a dark glare.

"Sorry Jaken, you just looked so cute all worried like that. You know, out of everyone, I was worried most about you joining the pack. Even more so than Kikyou or Sesshoumaru, and I don't mean to insult you so please do not think that, but you seemed like you would have the hardest time adapting. The others had their reasons for the animosity against us and we were able to work passed them, though it did take time.

"But I could never figure out if you simply hated cause because Sesshoumaru did or if there was an underlying reason. And I can not fix things if I do not know what the problem is. I was worried you were too set in your ways to really become one of us, but you just put all of my fears to rest. Do you even know what you just said? You automatically assumed you would be in charge of the children, and you didn't complain about having to take care of them, but not knowing how.

"Any worries I may have had about you not being, or feeling like you were a member of this pack, was just dismissed. But you need not worry, Jaken, at least in the beginning, if they are in fact pregnant, than they will be taking care of their own children. An infant needs to be with its mother in the beginning in order to bond, so you will have plenty of time to watch and learn. And always remember, Jaken, there is no 'I' in pack, everything is a group effort," she told him with a smile before turning her attention back to the meal before it could burn.

Jaken watched her for a while in silence, until the children were calling for him to return to their game of tag. Sighing softly to himself, Jaken rose to his feet and began chasing after them, knowing he would be completely exhausted long before it was time for bed. Kagome hid a giggle behind her hand as she watched them running back and forth across the clearing, always staying just out of reach of the rather short demon.

"Kagome?" She heard coming from behind her and turned around to find Kikyou and Sango standing there, unable to prevent their smiles from making themselves known. Squealing, Kagome rushed over to them, wrapping them both in a bear hug as she congratulated them repeatedly. "Lady Kaede says we have to check in with her every so often, but everything seems to be going well. Both pregnancies are strong and healthy," Sango informed her, only to be wrapped in an even tighter embrace.

***

She moaned as the long, slender fingers whispered across her skin, igniting a fire deep within her belly, his hot breath cascading over the shell of her ear. Lower and lower they traveled, slowly making their way toward the heated core that beckoned them, only to stop just short of their destination, teasingly making their back up without ever touching her as she desired. Her moan gave way for a pitiful whine, begging him to end his teasing, only to be met with a husky chuckle.

"Not yet, my pet, not yet," he whispered above her, his lips brushing against her ear as his hot breath caused her to shiver in anticipation. "I wish to take my time devouring you," he told her as his fingers once again began traveling south, this time he allowed his sharp, piercing claws to graze across her skin, creating thin, red scratches that beaded with tiny drops of blood. As she sucked in air through her teeth against the slight pain, he chuckled darkly above her.

Slowly making his way down to the shallow cuts, he allowed his tongue to slip just passed his lips and began to greedily lap up her metallic, tangy blood, the flavor leaving him begging for more. "Divine," he whispered to her as he continued to move slowly down her form, taking his time as he knew it would drive her insane with want and need. The closer he came to her heated core, the more she squirmed beneath him, knowing what was to come and wishing he would begin already.

Caressing his fingers toward the inside of her lithe thighs, he pressed them further apart than she already had them, teasingly touching just next to her petals. The soft, feather-like caresses soon had her growling in frustration as he refused to pay any attention to her core as she so obviously wanted him to. Chuckling at her expense, he lowered his head between her thighs, breathing in her heady scent deeply.

Letting his exhale fan over her petals, he watched in satisfaction as they began to glisten, heralding her readiness. Mindful of his claws, he spread her petals from the top, giving himself an unobstructed view of what would soon be his prize. Locking his golden eyes with her own umber orbs, he leaned forward taking his first taste of her most intimate flavor, causing her to arch her back off of the rock hard ground as she moaned beneath him.

***

"Kagome, wake up. You're going to disturb the children," a voice whispered above her as its owner began to shake her, pulling her toward wakefulness. Grumbling under her breath about wanting five more minutes, Kagome shooed away whoever it was that was disturbing her slumber and rolled over away from them. Rolling her eyes at Kagome's actions, Kikyou turned toward Sango for help. Never having had to wake the girl before, she was not used to it being such a daunting task.

"Let me," Sango instructed and waited for Kikyou to move away so she could seat herself next to Kagome's futon. Leaning down, careful not to wake the children her friend was surrounded by, Sango whispered, "It's time to make breakfast, the kids are hungry." Instantly Kagome was sitting up on her futon, carefully untangling herself from the blankets and arms of the children, that had wrapped themselves around her at some point during the night.

As the two watched in silence, she quickly slipped on her shoes and made her way outside without a word to either of them. Shrugging to each other, Kikyou and Sango soon followed suit, almost running into the still half asleep priestess when she stopped just outside the doorway. "Gah!" she screeched as she jumped back into the hut and slammed the door behind her. "It's freezing out there! What do you mean it's time to make breakfast? It can't be any later than three in the morning," she insisted as she turned toward Sango with the darkest glare she could manage.

"It was the only way to get you up. Kikyou tried the nice way but you ignored her and rolled back over. If you had just gotten up the first time she tried, you wouldn't have had to suffer through that," Sango joked, enjoying the small amount of payback for her friend having woken her up in the middle of the night. "Though I would suggest you keep your voice down unless you really want the children to wake up," she warned pointing to the room behind them before moving to sit against the wall on the other side of the common room.

"Whatever," the half-awake Kagome grumbled as she sluggishly made her way over to Sango. Plopping herself ungracefully beside her, she turned toward her as she hid a yawn behind her hand. "Why are you two waking me up in the middle of the night anyways?" she demanded before wiping the sleep out of her eyes, hoping it would help her to be able to focus on her friends. Yawning again, she barely noticed Kikyou joining them to sit on the cold floor.

"You were dreaming and making a lot of noise in your sleep. I could hear you way over in my hut and am surprised you did not wake the children," Kikyou explained grumpily as she pulled her blanket tighter around her shoulders to ward off the chilly night air. "What exactly were you dreaming about that had you making so much noise anyways?" she demanded after a moment of silence had passed between the three of them.

"What I was dreaming about?" Kagome wondered, more to herself than to Kikyou as she tried to remember what she had been dreaming about before they woke her. As the images started to replay in her mind, Kagome blushed beat red. It wasn't so much that she had been having a sex dream that caused her embarrassment, but the fact that whatever noises the dream had caused her to vocalize in the real world, had been overheard by someone two huts away from her.

"Ah so it was that kind of dream," Kikyou replied knowingly, causing Kagome's blush to deepen. Confused, Sango glanced between the two of them, wondering how Kikyou had already figured it out when she was still completely in the dark as to why Kagome seemed so embarrassed by a dream. Though, considering just who her husband was, it did not take long for an answer to come to mind, even if she was pretty sure it was not something Kagome would ever dream about.

"So our little Kagome is finally growing up and even having sexual dreams. Welcome to the world of adults," Kikyou told her, laughing when both of them sent her confused looks, both to how she knew and the fact that the 'proper' priestess didn't even blush when she said it. "What? It is completely normal when mated to a demon," she replied with a shrug, not seeing the reason for their looks as they were all adults.

"What do you mean it's completely normal when mated to a demon? What does being mated to a demon have to do with it? And do you mean you are having the same kind of dreams?" Kagome wondered, fighting the urge to smirk in satisfaction when Kikyou finally began blushing, though hers was no where near as intense as Kagome's. Now completely interested in the conversation, Sango gave up trying to figure out what was going on and just sat back to enjoy the show.

"He didn't explain it to you?" Kikyou inquired, laughing when she was met with a confused expression. "Apparently, when mated to a demon, you have very vivid sexual dreams. If both parties are demons, the dreams are actually real and anything that happens within in, say you become pregnant, happens in the real world. Both experience the dream, whether both of them are sleeping or not. When one of them is human, the dreams are just as vivid, but not real. And in order for Sesshoumaru to experience the dream with you, he would have to be asleep as well.

"Inuyasha explained, right before he left, that it has something to do with your aura missing your mate and it creates a world for you to be together. You will no doubt have them every night until they return, so you may want to think about sleeping away from the children. As we said, you were quite noisy, though thankfully, it was impossible to tell what you were dreaming about so even if you did wake the children, you wouldn't have scarred them for life," Kikyou informed her, smirking as she caused Kagome's blush to deepen further.

"Wait a minute," Sango insisted getting their attention. "You mean just because you two happened to have mated demons, you get vivid, sexual dreams? How is that fair? Considering who I am married to, shouldn't I have a more likely chance of those dreams than you two?" Sango complained, half jokingly, causing the other two to laugh.


	13. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all of its characters are property of the brilliant Takahashi-sama and I claim no ownership of them.

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AN: Congrats to Indigo_Miko for the correct answer of The Void. This chapter is dedicated to you and will be sending you the link to your banner soon. Round 11: "I have been paired with my half-brother, I win." And sorry I am a few days late with this update, been busy packing.

Chapter 12

As his hand glided across her heated skin, she couldn't help but moan in response to the sensations the slight deviation in their body temperature created. He smirked above her, her sounds like music to his ears as he repeated the motion, knowing it would draw out another long, wanton moan from her. Locking gazes with him, her breathing became heavy, panting as each touch teased a bit more of a reaction from her, her eyes pleading for him to continue.

Unable to help himself, his smirk grew larger, allowing one of his sharp, pointed fangs to protrude from his lips. "You must learn patience," he informed her as he ghosted his hand away from her heated core and began making his way back up toward her pert breast, giving them equal attention before returning his golden eyes to her umber orbs. "I intend to take my time, here time has no meaning. Eternity can pass in only a moment and I intend to take full advantage of it."

Leaning down to her, he gently brushed his lips across hers as his hand began to whisper its way toward her heated core once again, gently running the back of his fingers along her petals once it had reached its destination. Already he could feel the moist beads begin to coat her petals, causing his fingers to pass with less resistance. "You made me wait, now it is my turn," he warned her as he slowly slid his bent finger into her, rubbing against her hardening bud.

Sucking in a deep breath through her teeth, she arched her back off of the ground as his finger began to quicken its pace. The sensations caused her over sensitive, unaccustomed body to quickly reach its peak, wrenching his name from her lips in a husky moan. "If you are this sensitive in a dream, I can not wait to see how you are in reality," he whispered to her, his hot breath fanning across the shell of her ear.

As she slowly came down from her natural high, his words registered in her mind and she turned her shocked umber eyes to him. "You're asleep?" she questioned, remembering Kikyou's words on how he would experience the 'dream' with her if they both were asleep when they occurred. Instead of replying, he merely smirked before trailing burning kisses across her chest, his lips making their way toward her heated core.

Reaching his destination, he turned his eyes back up to hers as his lips hovered just above her glistening petals. "I am not asleep, but meditating, however, it has the same effect. I am the real me, not one you have dreamed up," he told her, chuckling lightly at her blush even as he lowered his head and took a taste of her intimate flavor. As she moaned beneath him, he chuckled again, causing vibrations to flow out from his tongue, making his ministrations even more effective.

He sucked her harden bud into his warm mouth, rolling the tip of his tongue around it as she squirmed beneath him. As he did so, he began to slide his knuckle into her moist depths, quickening his pace in time with his suckling bringing her to her peak once again. Hearing her moan out his name, he crawled back up to her, capturing her lips in a heated kiss that allowed her to taste herself on his. As she began to come back down from her natural high, the space around them began to shimmer.

Noticing she was having problems focusing, she gazed into his golden eyes, worry clearly visible in her own umber orbs. Smiling gently to her, he cupped her cheek with his hand and leaned down to lightly brush his lips against hers again. "Worry not, you are simply waking. We shall have to continue this another night," he told her, even as his form became translucent and he started to disappear before her eyes.

***

Glancing around the silent room as she sat up on her futon, Kagome quickly checked to make sure she had not awoken the children, or made enough noise to alert the girls to her dream again, before rising to her feet and getting dressed. Making one last sweep of the room, to ensure the children remained undisturbed, she began heading out of the hut. Once outside, she grabbed what she would need to prepare breakfast and set to work, last night's dream still fresh in her mind.

She had been having them for weeks now, each one a small glimpse into what was to come between them. Each one more intense than the last and for the first time, that Kagome was aware of, Sesshoumaru had participated in the dream with her. As much as she hated the way the dreams seemed to tease her, even more so than he was doing within them, they allowed to her spend time with him and she noticed she didn't miss him as much as she had before they had started.

If she had known the horror that she would soon stumble upon, she would have wished to remain in the dream forever, but as she was unaware of what waited for her, Kagome smiled to herself, humming a soft tune under her breath as she finished up breakfast. Just as she knew it would, as it always did, the inviting aroma drifted into the huts, awaking the rest of her pack. Soon they were all sitting around the campfire, eating and greeting each other good morning.

Once they had finished eating, Kagome gave Souta and Kohaku cleaning duty and turned to the girls with a smile as she rose from her seat. "I've got to head into the village this morning, I need to bring in some furs I promised Lady Kaede. Do either of you need anything while I'm there?" she inquired even as she walked toward her hut a grabbed the stack of furs that had finished drying during the night. As she turned back to them, they shook their heads with a smile.

"Would you like some help, youbo-san?" Rin questioned as the other children ran off to play or clean the dishes, noticing Kagome was having problems carrying the entire stack by herself. Grateful for the help, Kagome nodded her head and bent down a bit so Rin could take some off of the top of the pile. Saying their goodbyes to the others, Kagome and Rin began heading toward the village. Giving each other a smile, Kikyou and Sango went to watch the children and help with the cleaning.

The walk to the village passed mostly in silence, except for Rin's occasional chatter about something that had happened the day before. Though she kept her responses polite, Kagome barely paid attention as she began to feel a gnawing feeling in her gut, that kept her distracted from really listening to what the younger girl was saying. The closer Kagome came to the village, the more the feeling intensified, though as she glanced around, nothing seemed out of place or a possible reason for such a feeling.

"Are you alright, youbo-san?" Rin inquired noticing the slightly pained expression on her adopted mother's face. Forcing a smile, Kagome nodded to Rin before turning her attention back to the village, quickly sweeping the area with her eyes, hoping to spot the cause of the ominous feeling she was having. But everything was as it should be; villagers were beginning their day, politely greeting them as they passed, even the men that had caused problems a few months back weren't around to give them dirty looks.

Deciding Kaede might have some idea of what felt so wrong about the village, Kagome quickened her pace, forcing Rin to have to practically run to keep up with her. Arriving at the elder priestess's hut, she entered without bothering to knock, as usual, and found the older woman sitting beside her fire, preparing tea. Seeing Kaede's normal, grandmotherly smile greet them as she noticed their presence, Kagome realized whatever it was she was feeling, she was apparently the only one.

"Sorry it took so long to get them all, but with everything going on right now, I've been rather busy," Kagome explained with a smile as she nodded to the furs in her hands. "Where would you like them?" Smiling, Kaede pointed off to one corner of the room and Kagome put her pile down where she was instructed to before taking Rin's and placing them on top. "Rin can you wait outside for me? I need to speak to Lady Kaede for a moment. Don't wander off though, I should only be a minute or two."

"Of course, youbo-san. Good day, Lady Kaede," Rin said giving the elder woman a slight bow before turning and making her way back out of the hut. Seeing Kagome's expression turn to one of concern the moment the younger girl had left, Kaede gestured to the spot next to her, indicating for her to have a seat. Seating herself, Kagome waited as she poured them each a cup of tea, taking a few sips of the warm, calming liquid before turning her attention back to Kaede.

"This may sound strange, but has anything odd happened in the village the last few days? Something seemed off as soon as I arrived and, as much as I'll probably sound like Miroku when he was trying to get us to be able to stay in a village during our shard hunting days, I swear it feels like there is a dark cloud looming over the village. I can't quite shake this ominous feeling even though the village looked completely normal to me."

"I have not felt anything out of place myself. Ye have always been more sensitive to such things than I, so if ye feel something is out of place, I shall take ye word for it. Perhaps ye can explain the feeling to me and I may at least keep my eyes open for it," Kaede suggested as she patted the younger priestess's hand in reassurance. Over the years, she had witnessed first hand many times when Kagome could feel something in the air that even her highly trained senses could not and knew better than to just brush it off.

"Dark, I guess is the best way to explain it. It feels dark and threatening, like some invisible force is hanging over the village. It doesn't feel like a demon or even an ill intentioned human, I have never felt anything this frightening before. Even 'he' wasn't this dark and that's what is really scaring me. I can not imagine something more terrifying than 'him', but this is. It feels like it is trying to choke the life out of me, like I have to gasp for air even though my breathing remains normal.

"Like a weight is crushing my heart and filling me with an emptiness. And that emptiness is the darkest thing I have ever felt, but I saw nothing strange in the village when I arrived, I checked, everything seemed to have been how it was supposed to. And I did not start feeling it until I was close to the village, so I know it's not coming from ours. I'm scared, Lady Kaede, and I don't know what to do."

Seeing the unshed tears beginning to pool in the corner of her umber eyes, Kaede set her tea cup aside and pulled the unresisting girl into her arms. "It will be alright, child, I am sure ye will overcome it just as ye have done every other time dark forces have worked against ye. Ye are only scared because Inuyasha is not beside ye as he has always been in the past. What ever this darkness truly is, ye will defeat it, have faith in thyself."

The two sat in silence, other than the soft sobs coming from Kagome, she finally broke down the walls that had been holding her together since the war began, allowing her to cry out the frustrations and emotions she had kept hidden from the others. "Let it all out, child," Kaede prompted her as she began running her aged fingers over Kagome's dark hair. Embracing the elder woman with as much strength as she dared, Kagome did just that until her sobs became broken by hiccups.

Wiping the last few tears from her eyes, Kagome took a deep breath before glancing up at Kaede with a grateful smile. "Thank you, Lady Kaede, for letting me cry on your shoulder. I did not realize how much everything had effected me until now. But my stroll down pity lane must end for now, I should return to the village soon before the girls try to do something they are in no condition to do. They are still annoyed at me for taking them off slaying duty."

"Very well child," Kaede began as she released her hold on her, giving the younger priestess a smile. "I shall be here if ye ever need my shoulder again. Remember, child, do not allow thyself to bottle up ye feelings for too long, it will do no one any good," Kaede warned, her tone reminding Kagome of a chiding grandmother. Assuring her that she wouldn't, Kagome bid her goodbye and headed back of the hut, finding Rin waiting for her as she had instructed.

"I'm going to make a quick round of the village before we head back, just want to make sure everything is alright," Kagome explained as she began making her way toward the other huts rather than their own village. Smiling, Rin fell in step next to her as she began chattering about what she had seen the villagers doing while Kagome had been speaking with Kaede. Though she paid attention to what Rin was saying, in case she had noticed anything strange, Kagome kept her eyes on the village.

Just as she began to tell her about some children that were playing tag, Kagome froze as she felt something odd rising within her body. Confused, she tuned out the younger girl, turning her attention on herself as she tried to figure out what the strange pulse she felt was. "Youbo-san, are you alright?" Rin asked for the second time that day when she realized she was no longer listening to her story. Barely hearing her words, Kagome could only nod her head.

"It's his aura," Kagome said to herself, realizing what the pulse had been, thoroughly confusing the younger girl. "You sense it too, don't you?" she continued, speaking to Sesshoumaru's aura as though it was standing beside her. In response, the pulse became quicker. "Rin, do not move from that spot. Stay right there until I tell you otherwise," Kagome commanded, turning her attention back to the confused girl and waiting for her to nod her head.

Assured the girl would remain where she would be safe, Kagome closed her umber eyes, seeking out the darkness she felt with her power. Finding it, her eyes snapped open and she raced off in the direction she felt in coming from. Stopping in front of the hut, she swept her eyes over it but could find nothing strange about it even as the darkness seemed to surround her. Swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat, Kagome reached her hand out to knock on the wall beside the doorway.

Hearing nothing but eerie silence from within, she reached a shaky hand out to push back the hanging curtain, stepping into the darkened hut. As her eyes began adjusting to the dim room, Kagome found herself wishing they hadn't. Rushing back out of the hut, she made it back into the sunshine just in time to lose her breakfast. Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she did her best to ignore the nauseating smell coming from the hut and the rancid taste in her mouth, as she drew in a deep breath and, as loud as she could, she screamed, "Kaede!"


	14. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all of its characters are property of the brilliant Takahashi-sama and I claim no ownership of them.

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AN: Congrats to the winner of round 11 Spennig, for the correct answer of On Strike. I'll be sending you the link for your winner banner in just a moment. Round 12: "My loved ones of the past are all but forgotten, their legacies erased by the sands of time." Good luck. Sorry for the day late update, I went to post it yesterday and realized I had less than 2k words, so I wanted to make it a bit longer. And just a heads up warning, I will miss probably one if not two updates in May as I will be moving into our new condo. I should still be writing during that time so should be able to make up the missed chapters afterwards, but if I am not around for a couple of weeks, this is why :).

Chapter 13

Confused by the actions of her adoptive mother, Rin could do little else but stand there, staring at her in shock. About to step forward to ask if she was okay, she barely had the chance to remember her words of warning to not move, before Kagome rushed passed her, screaming the elder priestess's name. She almost took a step toward the hut, curious to find out what she had seen, when a shiver ran across her spine.

Never before had she seen Kagome react in such a way, no matter how horrible the things she saw were, and if whatever was in the hut was enough to make such a strong woman become sick, Rin was certain she never wanted to learn the cause. Tuning her childish curiosity out of her mind, she kept her feet planted where they were and turned her attention back to Kagome as she continued to run away from the hut, repeatedly screaming the priestess's name.

Having completely forgotten about Rin, Kagome kept her thoughts on reaching Kaede, trying not to remember the scene she had discovered for fear she would become sick again. Around her, the villagers stared as though she had lost her mind, but she completely ignored them, knowing getting to Kaede as soon as possible was far more important than the question of her sanity. "Kaede!" she screamed again as she finally arrived at the elder priestess's hut.

"Child what is it that has ye so frightened?" she questioned concerned as she could not remember a time when the futuristic girl had ever seemed so scared, as she stepped out into the morning sun. She had been startled when the girl had first screamed her name, spilling her still hot tea into her lap and had made her way toward her door, but with her aging bones, it had taken the same amount of time for the much younger girl to run across the entire village.

"Everyone," she began as she panted for breath, her lungs burning from how hard she had pushed herself to run. Taking a deep breath, as she tried to regain control of her voice, she started again, "Everyone needs to return to their huts and stay there. Now!" Sure the elder woman would take her word for it instead of wasting time asking questions that could be answered later, Kagome turned away from her, making her way back toward the other villagers.

"Everyone return to your homes!"she insisted as she began running from villager to villager, hut to hut, telling everyone to go inside. Behind her, she could hear Kaede repeating her words, abet more calmly. Once she had gotten everyone back inside and made another round of the village to make sure no one was missed, Kagome turned around to find Kaede waiting for an explanation behind her. "The darkness I sensed earlier, it's an outbreak.

"There are already three confirmed deaths and if it is what I think it is, there will be many, many more. There is nothing I can do to prevent what is happening other than quarantining the village. Anyone who is infected, will die. If it is not contained here, it will continue to spread and wipe out a large percent of Japan's population. If I thought I was scared before, this is a whole new level of terror. Before this is over, this village will take a heavy blow."

"An outbreak?" Kaede repeated, sighing sadly to herself as she lowered her head. Going over what would need to be done in her mind, she glanced back up at Kagome and squared her shoulders for the trials that were yet to come. "It is an illness, correct?" she inquired and after receiving a nod from Kagome, she continued, "Do I have it, child?" Unsure of how to answer or to even tell, Kagome shrugged her shoulders as she gave the older woman a confused look.

"What ye felt near the dead, use thy powers to sense if I have it. It is the same as if ye are searching for shards or demons. A priestess can use that same technique to search for a disease or illness within a paitent. It is how we can know what to heal," she explained before falling into silence to allow Kagome to search her body with her powers. After a few tense moments, Kagome sighed in relief when she could not feel the overwhelming darkness that she had felt coming from the hut and shook her head with a smile. "And what about ye, child?"

"No, I felt Sesshoumaru's aura preventing it from entering my body when I walked into the hut. Rin," she began realizing she had completely forgotten about the young girl. "I need to check Rin," she explained as she rushed away from Kaede, heading back to where she had left her, praying that she had followed her orders not to move. Finding her right where she left her, Kagome had barely stopped running when she began to search her body.

"Thank goodness, she is clean too," Kagome whispered releaved as she dropped to her knees, hugging the confused girl around the waist. "But if both of you are still safe, that means there is hope for some of the other villagers. All of them may not have been infected and if we get them away from those that were, we can prevent it from spreading to them. You two return to our village, I know no one there is infected or I would have felt it before coming here.

"Inform the others that they will be having company soon and stress that no one is allowed to come here once they arrive. And no one, and I mean no one, from our pack is to try and come help me. I'm protected, but they won't be. I will begin checking the villagers and sending any who are not infected there. Rin, run ahead, you can get there quicker," she instructed as she rose to her feet and finally released the still confused girl.

Though she had no idea what was going on, Rin wasn't about to argue and turned on her heels to begin rushing back toward the village. "Ye said earlier that there were three confirmed dead and that ye may know what this outbreak is. Perhaps ye can fill me in so I am better prepared to explain to the others and know what we are dealing with," Kaede suggested once Rin was out of hearing range and she turned back toward Kagome.

"On the edge of the village, there's a hut off to the side. The entire family is dead on the floor; a mother, a father and a child. Death usually occurs between two to six days, it's incubation another week. Because of the season, it is unlikely there has been much traffic through here, which means it is doubtful it has spread passed the village. I'm afraid that is the only good news that will ever come of this.

"You remember the rodent problem a little while back?" she inquired and waited for Kaede to nod her head before continuing, "They are most likely the cause. Those that are infected are going to die a slow and painful death. I do not know if there was ever a cure created in my time, even though this disease is pretty much wiped out, but even if there is, I do not remember ever learning in it school. I don't know if you know of it in this time, but it's called the Bubonic Plague."

* * *

Taking a deep breath, Kagome tried to steel herself for what was to come as she turned back toward the village. Forcing her feet to move, she made her way over to the first hut. Plastering a fake smile on her face, she knocked twice and waited for the door to be answered. After a few moments she could hear movement from inside and the hanging curtain parted to reveal a large, burly man. "Good morning sir.

"I apologize for the mandatory confinement, but there is an illness in the village and it was necessary to prevent it from spreading. Once I do a quick check to make sure your family is uninfected, I will send you to my village where you will be put up until the sickness is dealt with. May I come in?" she requested, doing her best to keep her voice steady. He stared at her for a long, tense moment before finally giving her a slight nod and stepping back so she could enter the hut.

As her eyes adjusted to the dimly lit room, Kagome smiled softly at the frightened little girl that was sitting in her mother's lap in the middle of the room, hoping to reassure her even if she was scared herself. Turning back to the father, she squared her shoulders. "Can I have each of you line up in the middle of the room? It will only take a moment to check you," she assured them and waited until they did as she instructed before allowing her power to rise to the surface as she searched them for the darkness.

"You are all clean. I need you to head directly to my village, they are already expecting you. Unfortunately you will not be able to bring any of your belongings, as the infection can be passed by objects and there won't be much room, however, they should have everything you need there," she explained with a smile as she led them outside and gestured in the direction of her village. Waiting until they had crossed the treeline, Kagome turned back toward their hut.

Grabbing a small rock from nearby, she scratched a crude X next to the doorway. Slipping the rock into the pocket of her hakama, she took a deep breath and made her way to the next hut. Again she knocked and waited for the door to be answered and receive permission to enter, this time by an elderly woman. Seeing no one else as she gave the small room a once over, she turned back to her with a forced smile.

"Does anyone else live here?" she inquired politely and waited for her to shake her head before continuing, "There is an illness going around the village. To insure no one else is infected, we are asking everyone to remain in their huts for now. I will return later to give you an update, but for your safety, please do not leave your home." Receiving her assurances that she would remain there, Kagome bid the elderly woman goodbye and made her way back outside.

There had been no reason for her to search the woman for the darkness, the overwhelming presence that had tried to suffocate her the moment she had stepped into the hut had been enough to confirm that she had been infected. Whispering a soft prayer for the life she would be unable to save, Kagome reached into her pocket for the rock and scratched a checkmark next to the door. Wiping away a stray tear, she took a deep breath and began making her way toward the next hut.

As she stood outside the door, she found herself wishing Kaede was able to help her. She was not looking forward to facing so many people with death sentences alone, especially since she already knew there was nothing she could do for them. If only there was someone to help her, but as she was the only one she was sure would be safe, Kagome couldn't chance anyone else being infected. There was no way she was going to endanger her family simply to make things easier on herself.

Pushing all thoughts of wanting help from her mind, Kagome reached up and knocked beside the door. She could hear a gruff voice from inside, complaining about it being about time, before the hanging curtain parted to reveal the last person she wanted to see. Already knowing he would no doubt cause problems, as he had during the festival, Kagome did her best to force a smile on her face. "I'm here to explain to you and your family what is going on. May I come in?"

"It's about damn time, you should have just explained things when you forced us back into our homes in the first place. I have work to do, I don't have time to be sitting around all day," he complained before finally stepping back and allowing her entrance. Reminding herself that it would only make things harder to argue with him, Kagome fought the urge to point out that he had been waiting for less than an hour.

Biting her tongue, she turned back to him with the brightest smile, she could fake, plastered on her face. "There is currently an outbreak of an illness in town that is highly contagious. In order to prevent it from spreading, I had everyone return to their homes until I could check everyone individually to see who is and who isn't infected. Once I check you, if you are clean you need to head to my village. If you are infected, I must ask that you remain in your hut until I return.

"Which I will be doing once I've checked everyone. Now if you'll just hold still, this will only take a moment," she assured them as she called her power to the surface. As she turned toward the man, who was currently glaring at her, she prayed that he was clean so she wouldn't have to deal with him, knowing what was about to come would already be hard enough without someone working against her. However, it was not meant to be as she quickly felt the darkness within him.

"You are infected," she told him softly before moving onto his wife. A quick scan confirmed that she too was sick. "And you, ma'am." Turning toward the young boy, she gave him a quick smile before searching him for the darkness. "You're clean, little one. Can you head toward the other village for me?" Giving her a slight nod, he turned toward his father for a moment, almost as if he was asking for permission.

Instead of looking at him, he kept his hard glare pinned on Kagome. Shrugging, the boy did as he was instructed and made his way out of the hut. After a few moments, apparently giving his son time to get out of hearing range, he started in on her. "We've had outbreaks before, but Lady Kaede never sent those that weren't sick away from the village. Where is Lady Kaede anyways? She should be the one here testing us.

"Especially since you can't seem to do you job right. I am perfectly healthy, there is no reason for you to believe otherwise, except for your incompetence as a priestess. I'm going to talk to Lady Kaede, seeing as she is the village's priestess, not you," he spat at Kagome as he moved toward the doorway, only to have her block his path. "Get out of my way little girl or I will move you myself," he warned, making sure to stand at his full height so he would tower over her.

Recognizing an intimidation tactic when she saw one, Kagome ignored his attempts to scare her, as she stood up tall and squared her shoulders for the incoming battle between them. "Sir, I must ask that you remain inside your hut to prevent infecting others. I realize you have little to no faith in my priestess abilities, but Lady Kaede does and if you can not put your trust in me, place it in her. She is dealing with the healthy villagers that are showing up at my village.

"I will not chance having her infected simply to pacify a bully. She is elderly and as such she is more susceptible to contracting an illness. Now sir, forgive me for being rude, but I do not have time go through this with you as I still have the majority of the villagers to speak to and time is of the essence. The way I see it, you have two choices. You can either give me your word as a man that you will stay in your hut until told otherwise.

"Or I can knock you out and tie you up. The choice is yours. But either way, you will not be leaving this hut until I tell you, you can. Because not only will you chance infecting other villagers, but you will be endangering my family if you go anywhere near my village infected. Whether you believe anything else I say, believe this. I will not allow you to endanger my family. Now can I have your word as a man, that you will remain here and let me do my job, or do I have to tie you up?"

"You have my word, but know this is not over, girl," he spat at her before turning his back and making his way to the other side of the room. Giving his wife a quick nod of her head, Kagome turned and began making her way out of the hut, breathing a sigh of relief that she hadn't needed to knock him out. Knowing he was going to give her the most trouble when she finally told them the truth, she dreaded her coming days for another reason entirely.


	15. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all of its characters are property of the brilliant Takahashi-sama and I claim no ownership of them.

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AN: Congrats to the winners of round 12, Lady Lillian and InuLover, for the correct answer of Whispers in the Dead of Night. This chapter is dedicated to you and I will send your winners banner soon. Round 13: "Fall in love, with me, Kagome." Good luck :).

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Chapter 14

Just as Rin and Kaede had warned them a few minutes before, the villagers began arriving in small groups. Knowing things would soon get out of hand if something wasn't done, and judging by Kikyou's continued silence she didn't realize they were waiting on her, Sango took it upon herself to point out what should have been obvious. "Kikyou, with Kagome away you are in charge. You do realize that, right?" she questioned, turning toward her.

Confused, as everyone had always seemed to view Sango as the second in charge out of the women, Kikyou simply stared at her in silence. "Kikyou, you are mated to Inuyasha, who happens to be our pack's beta, that means you are one as well. With the others away, you are in charge of our pack," Sango insisted and as Kikyou glanced around, she found the others staring at her in silence, waiting for her instructions. As she turned back to Sango, the slayer must have seen some hint of hesitation in her eyes for she assured her, "I am happy with my station in our pack."

Deciding to take her word for it, Kikyou gave her a quick nod before turning her attention to Jaken. "Jaken, take the boys, other than Shippo, and go hunting. If we do not start heading it off now, we will run out of food too quickly. What we have gathered for Winter so far will not be nearly enough for this many people. You four," she called out gesturing to a few of the villagers as she got their attention. "Head straight to the river from here and collect some water.

"You can find pails next to the hut," she informed them pointing toward Kagome's hut. "The large barrel next to it should be at least half full, try to fill it completely. If you need more help, ask a few other villagers as they arrive to aid you. Lady Kaede can show you the way," she told them before turning toward her 'younger' sister. Leaning closer to her, she whispered, "If they try to head back toward the other village, simply send off a slight blast of power and we will be there to stop them."

Turning back to Sango, she continued, "Take Rin and Shippo and see if you can find some wild fruits and nuts." Hearing Shippo mumble something about being a guy and should be hunting, she turned toward him with a secretive smile, using a trick she had seen Kagome use many times. Leaning down, she whispered, "The girls need someone to protect them." Apparently satisfied with his important job, Shippo gave her a toothy grin before following after Sango and Rin.

Taking a deep breath, Kikyou turned back to the other villagers and continued, "You five gather firewood. You three come with me." Making her way toward her hut, she instructed two of them to grab hers and Sango's futons and the other one to follow her. Heading inside, she opened the chest Inuyasha had made for her, one of a three piece set that the girls shared, and began piling up blankets in the third villager's arms before grabbing the rest herself.

Making her way back outside, she nodded for them to follow and made her way into Kagome's hut. "Stack the blankets up in this room, put the futons in that room," she instructed nodding toward Kagome's room. "Alright, go back into the middle hut and on the back wall you will find a wooden chest. Grab all of the blankets in it and bring them here," she continued after the villagers had made their way back out, before making her way into Kagome's room and opening her chest.

Emptying it, leaving only the two blankets on the futons, Kikyou hauled them into the main room before doing the same in the guys' room, though theirs were simply stacked up against one of their walls. By the time she made it back out into the main room, the villagers had returned with Sango's blankets. Silently she watched as they stacked them on top of the others before stepping back to await further instructions. As Kikyou looked over the final count, she found herself wondering if they would be enough seeing as the majority of the village would be heading there soon.

* * *

"That's the last of them," Kagome mumbled to herself as she watched the last healthy villagers disappearing toward her village. Taking a few deep, soothing breaths, she turned back toward the huts. Knocking on each one as she passed, she called out, "Alright, everyone come outside!" Soon enough, everyone who was infected were standing outside of their homes and staring at her. "I'm going to move everyone into the shrine. Please grab your futons and blankets and make your way there."

As they did as instructed, Kagome kept a close watch on the ones she was sure were bound to give her trouble. Seeing an elderly woman having problems carrying her futon up the hill to the shrine, Kagome made her way over and offered to help. Smiling in gratitude, the older woman walked a few shaky steps before asking, "I am infected, aren't I, child?" Confused, Kagome simply stared at her for a moment. "When you came to my hut earlier, you said that I should remain inside for my safety, however, the majority of the villagers are not here. One can only assume that those remaining are infected."

"I'm sorry I did not tell you when we spoke earlier, but there was nobody else with you and I did not wish for you to worry all alone. I will be explaining everything once we are all in the shrine. Rest assured I did not intend to keep you in the dark forever," Kagome told her as they slowly made their way to the shrine and she slid open the door for her. Following the older woman in, Kagome found an empty spot and laid out the futon before turning back to her with a soft smile.

"If I can have everyone sit down, I will explain everything," Kagome began, waiting for them to do as instructed and quiet down before continuing. "As I mentioned earlier, there is an outbreak in the village. You are unfortunately the infected. Have any of you heard of something called the Bubonic plague?" Receiving no response, she tried again, "The black plague?" Again nothing. "Black death?" This time there were gasps around the room.

"I see some of you know that name and I will go over it in a moment for those that don't. But I am afraid the black death is what has infected this village. Which is why I had to send the uninfected away like I did. I could not take the chance of a panic. This disease is incurable and lethal. I will be unable to do anything more than help make you comfortable. Over the next week and a half all of you will slowly die.

"I wish I could say it differently, sugar coat it for you, but it's the truth. I am sorry that I was unable to allow you to say goodbye to your families, but it was imperative that I get the non-infected away before it was too late. If you would like to write down a goodbye letter for them, I will see to it that they get them. And I will be more than willing to write down what you wish to say to them for those that can't write.

"For now, as I go over what to expect, please write your names down on these papers," Kagome instructed as she grabbed a stack of blank talisman paper and began passing it out. "I only have a couple of pens on me so please pass them around," she continued as she pulled the two pens, which she carried with her in case she needed to write a note, out of her pocket. "Again if you don't know how to write your name, just let me know after.

"Over the next week you will start seeing the beginning symptoms. This can include: Buboes; which are tender, enlarged lymph nodes found under the armpits or in the neck, fever, headache, chills, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea or a decrease in appetite. Once you move passed the incubation period, where these symptoms can occur, within a week of being infected, you enter what is known as Septicemia.

"During the last week you will experience: severe headaches, rapid heart rate, delirium and some of the earlier symptoms as well. Eventually it will result in death. As I said before, really all I can do is try and make you as comfortable as possible," she explained before beginning to make her way around the room to write down the names for those that couldn't do it themselves. Once everyone had finished, she continued, "Please put those in your pocket."

Deciding she should get some food cooking soon before she had a room full of hungry villagers, Kagome began heading toward the door to grab supplies from Kaede's hut. Just as her hand touched the door, a gruff voice called out behind her, "So this is how you pay me back for insulting those dirty demons you live with? Locking me up in a room with a bunch of infected people to make sure I die? And you call yourself a priestess. You're worse than those disgusting demons."

Taking a deep, calming breath to prevent herself from screaming at the top of her lungs, Kagome turned toward the man she knew, without even looking, had been the one to speak. "Sir I know you are confused and scared, so I won't hold your words against you, but know that my grace will not last forever," she warned him in her most pacifying voice. "Whether I like you or not, I would never purposely endanger another human life simply to get even with them.

"You have my word, both as a priestess and as a human being, that none of you are here for any other reason besides being infected. I realize you probably don't want to believe me and that's normal, you are currently going through the first stage of grieving; denial. You show no symptoms right now simply because you are still in the incubation period. Now I need to get started on lunch and I don't have time to be constantly checking up on you to make sure you aren't trying to do something stupid.

"What I said earlier still applies, I will knock you out and tie you up if you force my hand." Sure she had gotten her warning across, Kagome turned and made her way out of the shrine. Once outside, she tapped into Sesshoumaru's aura to fuel her power and created a weak, flickering barrier around the shrine. She knew that it wouldn't hold up against anything powerful, but it would keep humans with no holy powers confined. And really that was all she needed it for.

Quickly making her way to Kaede's hut, she grabbed what she thought would be needed, including a large pot and vegetables, and returned to the shrine. Instantly she could tell upon entering that the villager had been trying to turn the others against her, as a hush settled across the room the moment she had opened the door. Knowing there were other things she needed to take care of, Kagome decided to ignore him for now and set to work on getting the food ready to heat over the fire.

Once it was cooking, she made her way back outside, causing the barrier to flicker more intensely as she walked through it. Sure it would continue to hold, Kagome made her way toward the last place she wished to be. As she pushed back the hanging curtain and stepped inside, the strong stench of death and decay hit her full on. Gagging, worried she might become sick again, she stepped back out into the sunshine and made her way to Kaede's hut.

Searching through her herbs, she grabbed the strongest smelling one she could find and a piece of fabric from nearby. After finding her mortar and pestle, Kagome began mixing the dried herbs with a bit of mushy rice, that Kaede had abandoned earlier. Looking at the unappetizing paste, thankful she didn't have to eat it, she scooped up a large glob on her finger and smeared it under her nose. Taking a few quick sniffs to make sure she could smell nothing but the herb, Kagome grabbed a small herb pouch and began shoveling the paste in.

Praying it wouldn't leak in her pocket, she tucked it away and tied the cloth around her face. Calming her nerves, Kagome made her way back outside and toward the death filled hut. Squaring her shoulders as she stared unseeing at the hanging curtain, she tired to force her feet to move, only to find them rooted in place. Her mind supplied the images of what she would see on the other side of the doorway and the memory alone was enough to freeze her in her tracks.


	16. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all of its characters are property of the brilliant Takahashi-sama and I claim no ownership of them.

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AN: No correct answers yet so going to extend the round. Round 13: "Fall in love, with me, Kagome." Good luck :). Also it's a bit earlier than I had planned on putting this story on hold, but as we are moving in the middle of next month I'm going to be too busy to be uploading. Between the packing, cleaning, painting, moving and unpacking....I don't really have much time to write right now and my monitor is about ready to die. The break will not last longer than the end of May though, so it's only gonna be about five weeks at most. I will try to continue to work a little bit during my breaks so hopefully I will have a chapter or two to upload after the move, but for now this is the last Mates chapter for a while. If anything changes I will post on my profiles so keep an eye on those.

Chapter 15

Taking a deep breath, Kagome nodded her head, silently deciding it was time and pushed open the hanging curtain as she stepped inside. Doing her best to not really look at the horrifying sight before her, as their lifeless eyes and faces twisted in agony were sure to send her running from the hut again if she paid them too much attention, Kagome made her way over to the futon. On top of it, the father laid and she found herself thankful for that, it would make transporting his body that much easier.

Grabbing the two bottom corners, Kagome pulled them together a bit and started walking backwards as she dragged the futon with her. Her steps were slow and unsteady, finding it difficult to walk backwards while pulling a heavy, dead weight, but eventually she made it back near the shrine and released the futon. Standing up, she stretched out her back, as bending over for a while had caused it to become stiff, before glancing around to see what she would need to do next.

Seeing a nearby wood pile, she set to work on making a small campfire, her years in the past enabling her to get it going quickly without the use of matches. Once it was going and she was sure the fire would not go out the moment she turned her back, Kagome made her way to the small, shed-like hut she knew Kaede used to house supplies for the shrine. Stepping into the dimly lit room, her only source of light coming from the doorway, she waited for her eyes to adjust as she secured the hanging curtain, tying it back much like you would a normal one.

Now that she could see well enough to make out what the shapes were, she made her way over to a large chest and lifted the lid, the cloth preventing the dust that had settled on top from causing her to sneeze when it flew into her face. Finding the rough, offwhite fabric she knew was used during funeral rites, Kagome grabbed the top sheet and made her way back outside. As she walked back toward the futon, she tried to remember how she had seen Kaede wrap villagers in the past, praying she wouldn't damn their souls if she did the rites incorrectly.

Kneeling next to the futon, she began to wrap him as tightly as she could, whispering a prayer for his soul as she did. As she stood up to survey her work, had she been doing anything else, she would have been pleased to know, that while it was a bit crude, she had managed to wrap him as Kaede would have. Glancing from the wrapped body to the large, almost cement-like 'tub', that she would be using in a moment, she wondered if it was even possible to do it by herself.

Dismissing the idea, even as it formed in her mind, of asking one of the infected to help her, as they had enough to deal with already without having to directly face what would soon happen to them, she turned back to the man that was quite possibly 'patient zero'. Mumbling to herself about 'head first', Kagome reached under to grab his mid-section from behind, allowing his covered form to slid up her body as she raised him from the ground.

Pushing his upper body over the rim, she held him in place with one hand as she used the other to grab his legs and pushed them over the edge as well. Realizing he was laying on his stomach, and not really sure if it mattered, Kagome went ahead and rolled him over. Grabbing a stick from the wood pile, she held it into the fire until it was lit and walked back over. Whispering another prayer, she lit the cloth in serveral places before plunging the stick into the ground to put it out.

Knowing the cloth was used because it burned longer and hotter then others, Kagome turned away from the cremating body, unworried the flames would go out. As it would take him at least an hour, if not two judging by his size, to finish, she grabbed a pan and filled it with water. Heating it up just enough that it wouldn't burn her, she quickly washed her hands and face, after removing the cloth. She had decided it would be best not to enter the shrine like that as the villagers might think it was because of them and become uneasy.

Knowing things would already be hard enough on them as it was, Kagome saw no reason to give them extra, unnecessary stress. Sure she was at least some what presentable, she made her way back toward the shrine, ignoring the shimmering barrier as she walked through and the hush that fell over the room on her return. Smiling softly at anyone who looked at her directly, she made her way over to the now boiling pot.

After making sure it was cooked properly, Kagome grabbed some nearby bowls, usually used for tea in ceremonies, and began dishing it out. As she was dishing up her own bowl, she heard someone coughing and abandoned it to go check on him. "How long have you been coughing?" she inquired softly as she began searching his neck with her fingers, lightly prodding until she found what she was looking for; swollen lymph nodes.

Through the coughing he explained that it had only been a few minutes and with a soft smile she told him, "I will make you some tea to help with it. For now, if you can, try to drink your broth, it will help sooth your throat." Giving him another smile, she rose to her feet and began making her way toward the door, to get the herbs from Kaede's, mentally kicking herself for not thinking to bring them with her earlier.

Before she could reach the door, the resident trouble maker was blocking her path. Undaunted by his continued attempts to intimidate her with his larger size, Kagome simply stared at him in silence, knowing he would soon make his objections, to whatever it was he was pissed about this time, clear. "I'm not staying here to allow you to infect me with the black death. I gave you time to come to your senses and realize that as a human being, what you are subjecting me to is wrong.

"Obviously, you've spent too much time around those barbarians, as evn now when symptoms are starting to show in those that are sick, still you keep me here. Well no more and your idle threats do not scare me. You are not strong enough to knock me out, however, I am most certainly am strong enough to break you in half. Which I will do so if you try to stop me," he threatened before turning his back and making his way toward the door.

Sighing that it had come to this, Kagome calmly walked up behind him, standing on her tippy toes while he was too busy staring at the barrier to notice her. Emotionlessly, she pinched a pressure point in his neck, that Kaede had taught her for patients that were in so much pain that normal herbs were not enough, and watched as he slumped to the floor unconscious. Rolling her umber eyes, Kagome reached her arms under his shoulders and began dragging him back toward his futon.

Dropping him unceremoniously on top, she stood up and stretched to find the villagers staring at her in shock. "You needn't worry, he is simply unconscious. I realize it may not seem like a very priestessly thing to do, but one of my jobs is to protect my patients, sometimes that means from themselves. He is simply scared and taking that fear out on me, which is completely normal since I am the one who informed him that he is infected and he did not like me to begin with.

"People need an outlet for their fear and pain and I have no problem being it, but I can not allow anyone to leave. As far as I can tell, the plague is confined to the village, I can not chance it getting out or it will be unstoppable. Already there is a chance that the rats might have spread it elsewhere, but for now there is nothing I can do about that, but I can prevent this outbreak from going any further. You may not trust me and you may not even like me, just try to understand that I am simply doing my job," she told them softly before continuing out of the shrine to get Kaede's herbs.

Once she had passed through the barrier, Kagome took a shuttering breath as she tried to calm her nerves. Though she put on a brave face, truthfully she was terrified. She could handle one villager without any problems, but if they had all tried something or reacted badly to her knocking him out, there was no telling what would happen. Silently thanking the Kami that they all hadn't revolted against her at once, Kagome glanced over to make sure the body and fire were still burning before turning and making her way toward Kaede's.

Quickly gathering up all of her herbs, she made her way back to the shrine and found everyone silently eating. Thankful they seemed pacified for the moment at least, Kagome made her way over toward the fire and began heating up some water. Heading toward a nearby, low table, she spread the herbs out and began searching for the one Kaede taught was for coughs. Since it was a fresh leaf, she tore both sides a little bit before dropping it into a cup.

She had learned that doing so allowed more of the medical properties to seep into the water, helping to releave the symptom quicker. As she waited for the water to finish, she began making rounds, serving up second helpings for those that were still hungry. By the time she was done, so was the water and, pouring it into the cup, she made her way over to the still coughing villager. Helping him to sit up, she brought the cup to his lips and instructed, "I know it's rather bitter, but you need to drink it all."

Seeing him nod, Kagome helped him to slowly drink it sip by sip until the cup was empty. "You finished off your stew, did you want more?" she inquired after setting the cup down and turning back to him. Hearing a hoarse, whispered 'no thank you', she gave him a soft smile as she helped him to lay back before gathering up his dishes. Stacking them up near the door, so she could wash them later, she noticed most of the other villagers were finished and began collecting their bowls after making sure no one wanted thirds.

As she put the last couple of bowls on the pile, she glanced around the room to make sure no one else needed anything at the moment. Seeing that no one did, Kagome made her way back to her previously abandoned bowl and took a large bite of stew, forcing herself not to spit it out the moment it touched her tongue. It had long since grown cold and now tasted horrible. Turning back to the pot, she ladled out a bit of broth, filling her bowl the rest of the way and hoping it would be enough to warm it a bit.

Though it wasn't perfect, it was at least edible now and Kagome quickly scarfed down her food, knowing she would need all the strength she could get in the next few days. Setting her empty bowl aside, she glanced around the room to find some of the villagers drifting off and others talking quietly amongst themselves. Figuring they wouldn't need her for a while and that she should take advantage of the lull to get some work done, Kagome gathered up the bowls and made her way outside.

Setting aside the pot she had used earlier to wash her hands, she filled a new one and placed it over the fire before turning toward the cremating body to find it wouldn't be long before the process was finished. Grabbing the herb pouch out of her pocket, she slathered more of the paste under her nose and tied the cloth around her face. Stripping out of her outer haori, and rolling up the sleeves of the under one, she began dropping the bowls and cup into the now boiling water.

Knowing the water would sanitize them without her aid, she began making her way back to the shed. Seeing a small, crudely made shovel off in the corner, she grabbed it and one of the small, wooden boxes that lined the walls. Glancing around the village, searching for the perfect spot, she began heading toward the small cliff overlooking the town, once she had spotted it. Dropping to her knees at the edge, she began digging in the dirt, using her fingers more often than the shovel, until she had a hole big enough and deep enough for the box to fit.

Satisfied with her work, Kagome grabbed the box out of the grave and made her way back down toward the shrine. Seeing the body was still burning a little bit, she set the box down on the ground and made her way over to the boiling pot, grabbing two sticks on the way. Using them as tongs, she began pulling the bowls out, stacking them on the ground to cool a bit. Heading toward the shed, Kagome quickly found a wooden grave marker and made her way back out into the sunlight.

Grabbing a partially burned stick from the fire, she put it out before sitting down and placing the marker across her legs. Using the burnt end like charcoal, she drew the letters 'PZM' on the top, choosing to use the Westernized letters so no one would know what it stood for before she had the chance to learn his name. She didn't think the others knowing who patient zero was or even who it could have been, would be a good idea.

Setting the marker and stick off to the side, she turned back toward the body and saw the last few flames were dying out. Walking over to the 'tub' she picked up the coarsely made 'rolling pin' and waited until the fire had gone out completely. Once it had, careful not to touch the still hot, gray bone fragments, Kagome began to press the pin into them, crushing them into smaller pieces with each pass of her hands.

As beads of sweat, both from standing over the heated fragments and from the exertion required to pulverize the bone, began to drip from her pores, she fought against the urge to wipe them away, focusing all of her attention on her task at hand. Little by little the fragments became small enough to be seen as ash by untrained eyes and grabbing the shovel, Kagome transferred them from the 'tub' to the wooden box.

Replacing the lid and retrieving the marker on her way, she headed back toward the grave, whispering a soft pray to the unnamed man she carried. Kneeling beside it, she gently lowered the box into the grave, refilling the dirt with her hands until a slight mound covered it. Using every ounce of strength she had, she plunged the marker into the dirt before resting back on her heels to survey her work. "Rest in peace," she whispered as she rose to her feet, knowing there was still work to be done and no time for her to rest.


	17. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all of its characters are property of the brilliant Takahashi-sama and I claim no ownership of them.

* * *

AN: And I'm back :). Though I don't know if I will be quite back to updating once a week, but fingers are crossed. Congrats to the winners of Round 13, Inulover and XxMzMaryJanexX, for the correct answer of Balance. This chapter is dedicated to you and I should send out your winner banners within the next few days. Round 14: "They echo and haunt me within my dreams until the point where I awake and find the screaming is no longer yours, but my own."

Chapter 16:

* * *

Knowing her work was still not finished, Kagome rose to her feet, dusting off her hands, as she turned and headed back to ground zero, grabbing the empty futon on the way. As much as she did not wish to see the sight before her ever again, she knew she still had two bodies to deal with and it would be better to get them out of the way before the others began to drop, and it was only a matter of time before that started to happen.

Making sure she still had enough paste under her nose, and the cloth remained in place, she pushed aside the hanging curtain and walked into the dark hut. Deciding she still wasn't ready to deal with a child, Kagome walked over to the mother villager and dropped the futon beside her. Careful to breath through her mouth, she knelt down behind the long cold body and began to roll her toward the futon, until she was in the center.

Ignoring the way the child's cold, dead eyes seemed to call out to her for help she could never give, Kagome grabbed onto the edges and began to back her way out, closing her eyes to shut out the horror around her. As she made her way back toward the 'tub', she allowed her mind to wander to the guys, hoping thoughts of them would erase what she had seen, what she knew she would soon see. But doing so simply caused her to worry about them and not knowing what was happening scared her.

Shaking her head to clear her worrying thoughts, she released the futon, now that it was where she needed it, and made her way toward the hut, quickly grabbing a sheet before making her way back outside. Kneeling beside her to begin wrapping her body, Kagome noticed her lifeless eyes staring up at her, as though they could see into her soul accusingly. Shuttering, she gently closed her eye lids before setting to work, keeping her mind focused on what her hands were doing.

Soon enough she was finished and lifting the almost weightless body over the edge before lighting it on fire and walking away to wash her hands. Swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat, Kagome removed the cloth and quickly cleaned off the paste. Making sure she was as presentable as possible considering the circumstances, she turned back and passed through the the barrier surrounding the shrine, making her way inside.

Blinking her umber eyes as she tried to let them adjust to the dimly lit room, she passed over the threshold and closed the door behind her. Seeing the fire had begun to die down, she quickly made her way over to it, refueling it and setting a kettle of water over it for tea. Turning back toward the villagers, she slowly scanned the room, taking in each of their pale, ailing forms and as what was happening around her hit her once again, Kagome blinked back the threatening tears.

Squaring her shoulders, she released a breath of air before going back to canvasing, searching for any who may currently need her help. Spotting a middle aged man shivering beneath his blanket, Kagome nodded silently to herself before making her way over to him. "How are you doing?" she inquired quietly, to not disturb the others, as she gracefully took a seat beside him, placing the back of her hand against his forehead to take his temperature.

Feeling a slight raise in his body heat, she gave him a soft smile before grabbing a nearby cloth and gently wiping away the beads of sweat from his face, before turning her attention back to him. "I feel hot and cold and there is a pain in my stomach," he informed her with a weary smile as he gestured to his stomach that was covered by his blanket. Giving him a quick nod, motioning for him to wait a moment, she stood and made her way over to the boiling water.

Quickly filling a cup, she added some herbs that would help releave his pain and headed back over to him. After helping him to sit up and drink it, she set the empty cup aside and aided him in getting comfortable again. Giving him a soft smile, Kagome rose to her feet, ready to see if any of the other villagers were in need of her help. "Priestess," he called out softly in a hoarse voice as she began to walk away causing her to turn back with a questioning look.

As he gestured to the spot she had just vacated, he waited for her to retake her seat before continuing, "Have you thought about purging the illness by flooding our bodies with holy power? It feels evil, and if it is, would it not be purifible by a priestess's powers?" Having not thought of it herself, as sick or not he remained a human and as far as she knew her powers wouldn't work on humans, Kagome simply sat there staring at him in silence.

"I do not know what if anything it will do. Holy powers were never meant to be used on humans. Not in the way you are talking about, anyways. At the very least, it will do nothing, at worst it will kill you. There is no guaranty this won't just make things worse than they already are. I'm not saying I won't try, but I can't not even begin to tell you what might happen," she warned softly as she reached for his hand, patting it comfortingly.

"There is nothing for me to lose if I am to die anyways, correct? If I die sooner I will simply be spared the pain I am to go through. If there is even a slight chance that doing so might save me and the others, then it is worth it to try. My wife is ill too, if I can save her, I will be willing to try anything," he assured her in a whispering voice as he squeezed her hand before glancing over to the woman laying next to him, no doubt his wife.

"If you are sure," Kagome began, pausing for a moment to wait for him to say his goodbyes before he turned back to her with a nod. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves for what was to come, she silently said a quick prayer for him as she placed her index and middle fingers on each of his temples, allowing her other fingers to fan out from her hands. Giving him a slight smile, she closed her eyes as she let her powers flow into her fingers, concentrating her focus on the darkness within him.

Finding a stream of pitch black evil that coursed through his veins, she began to follow it with her holy power, taking the same path through his body that it did. As she continued to trail it back to his heart, where the illness seemed to be centered, a flash of bright, pink light flowed off of his body, encasing him in a shimmering bubble of purifying power. Though Kagome couldn't see it, with her eyes still closed, she could feel it growing stronger as more of her power was pumped into him.

Her head twitched slightly as the last stream of her power had forced the darkness into one spot and she began to flood it with all the strength she could manage, watching in her mind's eye as the plague bled away until only her power remained within him. Taking a deep breath, she pulled her powers back within her own body and opened her eyes as she sat back from him. The slight that greeted her, broke her heart.

His empty, lifeless eyes stared up at her, his pale lips slightly parted though no more breath came from them. With a broken sob, Kagome scooted back from him, drawing her knees up to her chest as she rocked herself, unable to take her eyes off of him. Unsure of what else she could possibly do, she laid her head against her knees and began to cry. While logically she knew he was to die anyways and in fact she had saved him days of pain, the only thing she could think was that she had just killed another human being.

* * *

"If everyone is finished eating, please line up with your families," Kikyou instructed after glancing around at the villagers and seeing everyone seemed to be done. Sending Sango, Rin and the boys into Kagome's hut, instructing them to bring out the blankets, she turned back to their guests. "We are going to start by giving each family one blanket to share, if we happen to have extras I will give them to who need them the most."

Seeing they had returned, Kikyou began to hand out the blankets just as she said she would, running out just after she had given a second one to the last family with more than two people. Taking a deep breath, she turned back to the villagers, ready to move onto the next step. "Starting with any families with children or elderly, you will be sleeping in the first two huts and the main room for the third," she informed them as she gestured to the three huts, ending on Kagome's.

"What about the other rooms in the third hut?" one of the villagers pipped up, causing others to nod and mumble in agreement. Sighing inaudibly as the complaints and accusations started up before she could even explain the reason to them, Kikyou fought the urge to roll her eyes at them, knowing it wouldn't do any good and would probably just cause more problems. Putting on her best pacifying smile, she turned back to them, gesturing for them to quiet down.

"The other two rooms are already packed full with the people who live in this village. We will be unable to help all of you if we do not get a good night's rest. And I assure you, we are already packed in as much as we can. Lady Kaede will also be in there with us," she explained, hoping they would drop the matter and let her get back to what needed to be done. But judging by the continued grumbling of the first man who complained, Kikyou figured it wasn't going to be that easy.

"I am sorry, I did not catch that. Would you mind repeating what you just said?" she inquired as politely as she could, even though she knew what ever he had said was far from polite. Instead of answering, he simply sent her a quick glare before looking away. "Very well, then if that is all, there is still work to be done," she told them before turning back to Jaken. "We are going through food faster than I thought we would.

"Take the boys and go out hunting again. If you need extra help, get some of the villagers to go with you," she instructed, waiting just long enough to receive his nod before turning toward Sango. "We have some saved up cloth, Kagome was going to make some clothing for the kids since they will outgrow what they have now soon, but we'll just have to replace it later. Get some of the women together and start working on an extra set of clothes for the villagers.

"Start with the men first, in case we run out. They will no doubt wear their clothes out first. Rin, in the bottom of Kagome's chest is all the kids' old clothes. Get those out and see if any of them are still in good shape and could be used for the village children. Sister, begin gathering herbs, something tells me we will be needing them soon. Any you can find. Kagome keeps some in her hut, but I doubt she has enough to last long with this many people.

"You three, gather more firewood," she continued as she turned back to the villagers. "You four, help me with cleaning the dishes. Before you head out for your jobs, pick a spot for your families in the huts and leave your blanket there. For those that don't have children or elderly, if there is not enough room for you inside, we will start building another shelter soon. But it will no doubt take a few days. Alright everyone, we've got work to do," she instructed before making her way over to get started on the dishes.

Behind her she could hear the other members of the pack setting to work as she instructed but the villagers remained unmoved from their spots. Sighing softly to herself, she stood from the pile of dishes she was gathering to turn back to them. Standing up tall, to let them know she would not be pushed around by them, Kikyou decided against putting on a fake smile and instead opted for a slight glare. "There is much work to be done, far more than can be done by my group alone.

"I realize that you are scared and upset, however, those who do not work, do not eat. We are willing to help your entire village the least you can do is help yourselves. It is not us that will go without due to your rebellion, it is your families, your children, yourself. We are quite capable of gathering enough for ourselves, so you are only hurting yourselves. Get to work or go without, those are your only two choices," Kikyou warned before turning back to her task.

As she passed by Sango, the slayer gave her a smile of awe before nodding her head in agreement to the way she was handling things. It was exactly what Kagome would have done, though slightly more polite. Giving a few women a pointed look, to let them know she wanted them to help her, Sango turned and made her way into Kagome's hut. After a few moments, they could hear the villagers beginning to move, heading into the huts to claim their spots and following after those they were instructed to.

* * *

"Priestess?" a soft voice called out to her as a gentle hand shook her shoulder pulling Kagome back into the present. Confused umber eyes stared up at the kneeling woman, trying to remember why she was sitting silently on the floor. "Are you alright, priestess? You've been sitting there for a long time," the woman informed her and as Kagome's mind began to awaken from the shock, she recognized her. She was his wife.

Releasing a choked sob, Kagome turned back toward the lifeless man, her memories returning full force. "I am alright," she finally managed, her words stuttered as she regained control of her body and drew in a deep breath as she tried to calm down her now racing heart. "I am sorry," she whispered, swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat. Giving her a slight smile, the older woman shook her head as though to say it was not her fault, that she didn't blame her for her husband's death.

Understanding her unspoken words, Kagome gave her a slight nod before rising to her feet and making her way back over to him. Steeling herself, she grabbed onto the edges of his futon and began dragging it back toward the door, knowing she needed to get him out of there quickly before the other villagers began to panic, finding herself surprised they hadn't already while she had been in shock. Ignoring the looks the others were sending her, she backed her way out the door and toward the funeral pier.

Seeing that 'patient zero female' was finished cremating, Kagome made her way into the hut, grabbing a burial box and a burning cloth, before making her way back outside. Setting them off to the side, she turned back to the 'tub' and began crushing the gray bone fragments into dust, collecting them in the box once she had finished. After replacing the lid, she grabbed the sheet and made her way back over to his body.

Pocketing his name tag, Kagome quickly wrapped him, before repeating the motions of getting him over the rim and lighting him on fire. Without looking back, she grabbed the box and two grave markers out of the hut before making her way up the hill. Saying a silent prayer for her, she placed her ashes into the grave and covered it before writing 'PZF' on her marker. Jamming it into the ground, she repeated the actions with his marker, only writing his name before dropping his tag into the plot.

Rising to her feet, dusting her hands off on her pants, Kagome made her way back toward the shrine, stopping by the pier as she dropped to her knees. "I'm sorry," she whispered to him as the hot tears began to burn trails down her cheeks unnoticed by her. "I'm so, so sorry," she continued, dropping her face into her hands as the sobs began to rock her body. Minutes passed her by unnoticed before the smell of burning flesh began to turn her stomach and Kagome released she had forgotten to replace the paste.

Forcing down the bile that was rising in her throat, she quickly made her way back toward the shrine, passing through the barrier without even noticing it. Taking a deep breath once she was back inside, Kagome scanned the room again for anyone who needed her attention only to find one of the male villagers glaring at her. Unsure if it was better that it wasn't the usual one she had to deal with, she decided it would be best to ignore the look and began to walk away.

But before she could even get a few steps, said villager began speaking to her. "Why aren't you sick? You say we can't be around our families because we would infect them and yet you are here around us and not getting sick," he insisted in an accusing manner causing some of the others to mumble in agreement. Dismissing the idea of knocking them all out to make things easier on her, Kagome took a deep breath to calm herself before turning back to the villager who was speaking.

"I am not sick because I am protected from it. Your families, the other villagers and anyone you or they come across are not. I wish I could allow you to see them and say goodbye, I really do, but I can not chance the plague getting out and spreading out across all of Japan. And I wish I could share my protection with all of you," she continued when some of the men started demanding that she did so, "but it is not possible. If it was, I would have already done so."

"Why don't you just tell me what your protection is, little girl, I am far more qualified to decide what would work and what wouldn't than an untrained, failed priestess. Not telling us simply shows that you would rather have all of us die than not share with us. What? If you protect us you will no longer be protected? All of our lives being saved is worth one useless life or are you so greedy that you won't even save a shrine full of people just to save yourself?"

In utter shock of what she was being accused of, and unable to understand where all of his accusations had come from, Kagome simply stood there unable to make a sound. Before she had the chance to regain control of herself, the wife of the man currently on the pier spoke up, "She is protected because she is a priestess. It is the Kami's way so their vessels are able to help those in need. If she were to get sick too, there would be nobody here to help ease our passing."

Even though she knew it wasn't the truth, Kagome smiled in appreciation to the women before turning and making her way back over to the fire. If they believed her words it was far better for her, though she did not know how they would take the truth, Kagome knew it wouldn't be good. She was already having enough problems without the villagers learning that she was protected from the plague because she mated a demon.


	18. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all of its characters are property of the brilliant Takahashi-sama and I claim no ownership of them.

* * *

AN: No correct answers so continuing on from last chapter. Round 14: "They echo and haunt me within my dreams until the point where I awake and find the screaming is no longer yours, but my own." And this chapter is a bit shorter than I was hoping for but wrote it in one shot, with no sleep and if I want to get it out today, it'll have to do.

Chapter 17

The sun had long set on the plague infested village, bringing to close another long, horrifying day for Kagome as she sat on the floor of the shrine, once again unable to move from her spot. This time it was not her own hand that had caused her turmoil, but simply what was bound to happen sooner or later. As much as she wished it would have been later, she was thankful for it to have been sooner. No longer did she had to suffer through such pain, such agony as Kagome had watched her go through for the last few days.

It had begun not long after the first villager had died and had not given her pause to rest in days, every moment was spent burning and burying the dead, taking care of the soon to be. And again the sun set, with it another life was extinguished right before her eyes. Again she was useless in preventing it, unable to do anything for the woman that lay dead before her. All she could do, what she must do, what she had to do was repeat the same actions she had a dozen times already.

Feeling the heated eyes trying to burn holes into her back, as they usually were, she knew it was time to set to work before he had the chance to start up another argument, blame her once again for him now showing the symptoms he continued to fault her for. Taking a deep breath, Kagome rose to her feet and made her way over to the body of the wife, the wife of the man she had killed, grabbing onto the edge of her futon and making her way backward toward the door.

But he had no intention of letting her be uninterrupted, though she was unsure why she believed he might this time, as he hadn't any other time she was forced to drag the dead out. "Could you possibly be anymore useless?" he demanded and without needing to turn around to face him, she knew him to be glaring in her direction, he always was. "You do nothing but watch as we die. Such a pathetic excuse for a priestess you are.

"You should be trying to save us and not just sitting around, watching as we pass one by one. If you were any good of a priestess you would know how to save us," he insisted, mocking her as he always did and, no doubt, would until he breathed his last breath. Knowing it would do her no good to bother arguing with him, Kagome opted instead to ignore him as she continued to drag the futon toward the door. The quicker she got out of the shrine, the less likely she was to lose her mind to the insults he and a few of the others occasionally threw her way.

As the other began piping up around her, agreeing with the resident trouble maker, Kagome fought back the tears threatening to spill, reminding herself that they were scared and that it wasn't personal really, that they just needed someone to blame. It wasn't until she felt herself collide with a solid form that she paid any attention to what was happening around her. Confused, she released the futon as she turned around, finding her path to the door blocked a group of the village men.

Losing the battle, Kagome felt the hot beads of salty tears coursing their way down her cheeks and she squeezed her eyes closed, unable to face what was in front of her. She knew, down in the deepest part of her soul, that it wasn't their fault, that it was their fear and grief speaking, acting out against her, but as much as she knew this to be true, knew she could not hold their actions against them, there was only so much she could take.

So long that she could allow this to go on before her sanity began to waver within her. Choking back a sob, she opened her eyes to find them all glaring at her, as though she was actually responsible for the plague infecting the village in the first place, and it took all of her remaining strength to not collapse in a heap and start balling. "I know you do not want to believe me, but I assure you, I am doing everything I can.

"I understand that you are angry, you want someone to blame and I have allowed you to place it on me all of this time because I hoped it would help you. Priestess or not, I am only one person and I am doing everything that I can to make your last days as painless as possible because the truth is, whether you want to believe it or not, I can not stop what is to come. As much as I wish it were different, I can not save you.

"Be mad at me, hate me if you want, if it will make you feel better, but do not impede me. Not matter how much I would rather be doing anything else, I have bodies to deal with, people to give a proper burial to. And even if you despise me, do not take it out on them, or yourselves, let me give you what small comfort I can. As bad as it is now, I can assure you it would be worse with no one at all to look after your needs.

"Yell at me, spit at me, blame things no man could possibly ever be responsible for on me if that is what will make you feel better, but please do not get in my way. I have work to do," she told them, forcing her tears to stop, even if she knew it would only last until she was once again outside, before turning back to her previous task. Not bothering to see if they had moved, Kagome continued on toward the door, only to be stopped once again at the edge as they began yelling for her to stay gone, to never return.

"You want me to leave?" she repeated as she glanced back up from the futon to look each of them in the eye before turning to the trouble maker. "Fine, if that is what you wish, so be it. I shall not return until morning, as I know I will be needed again soon, but if it is what you want, I will give you that time away from me. You will soon see the difference. I am doing the best I can and you are simply being ungrateful.

"I know you are hurting, but I will allow only so much leeway due to your grief. I have done nothing to deserve this, nothing. But it is no matter, I know that you will feel differently after a night of having no one to help you or ease your suffering. I bid you all a good night," she finished before continuing on out of the shrine without a second glance back at them. Biting her bottom lip to hold off the tears for a while longer, Kagome began making her way over to where she knew the supplies to be, preparing herself for another body to burn.

* * *

Silence surrounded the village, other than the crackling from the fire beside her and the cremation nearby, as Kagome sat at the base of a tree, her knees pulled to her chest with her arms wrapped around them. Back and forth she rocked, her head laying on her knees, as she cried until the point that her sobs caused her to cough and still she remained. Unable to convince herself to move from her spot, unwilling to open her umber eyes and face what had happened.

All she could think, the only thing to run through her mind was that she hated them for the way they treated her. She was doing all she could to save them pain and suffering and they did everything they could to repay her with it. Minute by minute, she found it harder to remember that it wasn't their fault, that they were scared. More and more her mind screamed that they had her to hold their hand through what was happening, while she had no one.

There was no one there to ease her suffering, to help her through the worst time in her life. She knew, logically, that what they were going through was one of the worst things in the world, but she was in second place. Kagome began to think they might in some way be somewhat lucky, as strange as it made sound. It had been a week and a half since she quarantined the village, they had a few short days left to suffer and then they could move on.

But not her, she would carry this with her for the rest of her life. Kagome knew she would constantly be reminded of what had happened in these two weeks, what she had already suffered through and what she soon would. They would move on to heaven and all of this would be erased from their minds, their paradise was right around the corner, but around hers was only more hell. She knew that when she closed her eyes at night to sleep, she would relive it.

The bodies she burned, the graves she dug, the feeling of complete uselessness, being unable to do anything to save a single one of them. Their faces, their names would haunt her for the rest of her days, she knew it and there was nothing she could do to stop that either. As much as they blamed her for being unable to protect them, she blamed herself twice as much. Logically she knew that you can't save everyone, but when had logic ever played any real part in death.

No matter how much good she did in her life, how many people she saved before today, after tomorrow, it would never cancel out those that died in this village, those that would soon join them. Soon they would move on and be free, she would forever be chained to this horrifying memory. As strange as it may sound, they were the lucky ones. It was those left behind that truly suffered and for the first time, in a long time, Kagome found herself crying for her mother.

She needed her here beside her, her guidance, her wisdom, her shoulder to cry on. For the first time since she was a little girl, Kagome found herself wanting her 'mommy'. If not her, than Inuyasha and all of his big brother-ness, his strength the pillar that allows her to remain standing. His harsh tone somehow making her believe that everything was going to be alright even when everything was stacked against them.

Or Sesshoumaru to hold onto her through the long, cold night, his presence alone enough to calm her to the point of sleep, something she was sorely lacking in lately. His deep voice surrounding her like a blanket of protection, his deep, golden eyes she could get lost in until it was all over. But she had none of them by her side when she needed them most, none of them there to hold her hand, tell her that, like everything else fate had thrown her way, she would get through this.

As though the night sky itself had heard her whispered prayers for someone, anyone to come to her side, Kagome felt something sharp pierce her neck and reached her hand up quickly to slap it. Slowly opening her umber eyes, as though dreading what she thought to be in her hand was incorrect, she found herself almost wanting to jump for joy at the sight of the small, currently squished flea demon on her palm.

Silently she watched as he re-inflated before perching himself on her wrist, inquiring about what had happened and why she was crying. Softly, in between broken sobs and hiccups, Kagome explained what had happened since news of the war had reached their pack. "I really do feel like the failure the villagers are making me out to be, but at the same time, I know there is nothing else I can do. I can't fix this no matter how much I may wish to.

"With as warn out and weak as I feel, truthfully, I am surprised I haven't fainted yet and that I was able to help them as much as I have been able to," she admitted before turning from him to glance over at the cremating body, seeing that she had been sitting there for so long that the flames were beginning to die down already. Hearing his tiny voice asking her how long she had been awake, Kagome turned back to the flea in her hand. "A week and a half, or there about."

"Lady Kagome, you need to get some sleep. I know that is far too long for a human to go without sleep. You will not do them any good if you pass out from exhaustion. They won't need you until morning, catch a few hours of sleep, I will wake you when the sun rises," Myoga assured her, hoping she would listen to reason, but not all that surprised when she shook her head, refusing to give into her bodies thirst for rest.

"There is far too much work to be done still. Even if they refuse to let me take care of them right now, I need to dig more graves. I've been doing it as needed, but now that I have the time, I should get it finished. It'll be less work for me to do later. I know you are right, Myoga, that I should rest, but if I sleep now, even you will be unable to wake me in the morning. I will probably sleep for a week or two when this is all over," she told him with a poor excuse for a smile.

Gently placing him on a nearby rock, Kagome rose to her feet as she dried her eyes, hoping to remove any trace of tears, before turning back to him as a question suddenly popped into her mind. "Myoga, is it possible for you to suck out the plague from their blood like you did when we were poisoned?" Somewhere in his pinpoint eyes she could see him wishing she hadn't asked the question and she knew the answer before he could even respond.

"No, it is not possible," he told her sadly, turning his eyes away, unable to watch as her heart broke before him. "The poison was limited to the bloodstream and simply removing the blood and allowing the body to regenerate the blood was enough to save you. Plus having you guys drink the mixture I made from that blood, of course. The plague works differently, it is not confined to the bloodstream. It is not possible to pull it out without killing them."

For a long moment, Kagome simply stared at him in silence, unwilling or unable to ask the question his answer lead to. As much as she may have wanted to know the truth for future reference, the thought of her being too late to think of such a thing was killing her. As Myoga watched her worry filled eyes dart in every direction but his, he quickly understood her unasked question. "No, Lady Kagome, it is not a question of timing. Even if you had found me the moment the first villager was infected, I would still be unable to do anything.

"Do not blame yourself for not thinking of me sooner, for there is nothing I could have done or could do. I supposed I am even more useless than you feel yourself to be," he told her with a slight smile, hoping to lighten her mood somewhat, before watching as she nodded before walking away. Doubting he had helped her mood any, though thankfully he hadn't seemed to have made it worse, Myoga watched silently as she began making her way back toward the graveyard on the hill overlooking the village.


	19. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all of its characters are property of the brilliant Takahashi-sama and I claim no ownership of them.

* * *

AN: Congrats to the winners of Round 14, Happy2SeeAll and Kalika13, for the correct answer of Voluntary Obligation. This chapter is dedicated to you :). Round 15: "You don't want the truth, you just want someone to blame." This one is a bit harder than usual, good luck all.

Chapter 18

"You need to rest now, Lady Kagome. The graves are all dug and there is still hours before dawn. Get some sleep before you collapse," Myoga insisted from his perch upon the grave marker she was silently staring at from her spot on the ground. Unaware of who that particular grave belonged to, Myoga found himself confused by the haunted look in her umber eyes as she remained unmoved by his words. "Lady Kagome?"

"It's my fault," she whispered, though to him or herself he was unsure. Deciding it didn't matter either way, Myoga quickly assured her that it was not her fault that the plague had reached the village, that it was just one of those things that sometimes happened. Shaking her head, she answered him without adverting her eyes from the marker, "Not the plague. Him," she paused to gesture toward the grave in front of her, "His death was my fault.

"I tried to save him, but all I did was kill him." Confused, Myoga hopped down from his perch, landing in front of Kagome, before turning back to read the name engraved into the wood. Not recognizing the name, he shrugged his tiny shoulders before turning back to her in question. "I attempted to remove the plague by flooding his body with holy power and it killed him. I've never killed a human before.

"I've killed my fair share of demons and have been too late to save humans, hell I've even been indirectly responsible for their deaths due to the jewel, but I have never taken one's life with my own two hands. It is not something I ever want to experience again. I don't want to sleep, Myoga, I would only cause myself nightmares and I would wish that when I awoke I would find it all to be a dream, but I know it will not be.

"I can not allow myself to sleep, if I do I will see him and I will not want to awake ever again. I would beg him to allow me to stay or for him to return and what he is doing is more important my needing someone to comfort me. Not only does his entire inheritance depend on it, but so does the safety of Daichi. I will not endanger his, or anyone else's life, just because I am scared. But I could not stop myself if I were to sleep," Kagome insisted, blinking away her tears as she rose to her feet and began making her way back down the hill.

Quickly hopping onto her pant leg before she could get too far away, Myoga made his way up to perch himself on her shoulder, watching her expressions silently as she moved to check on the cremating body. "I had heard about the war in the West, I was on my way there when I decided to pay you a visit," he began softly after she had walked away, seeing there was still some time before it was finished.

Deciding it would be best not to bring up the dreams between demons and humans who have mated, and it wasn't the right time to congratulate her on her mating, Myoga figured it would be better to change the subject. "Very well, perhaps there is something I can do for you instead of getting you to rest. I can give you a drop of my blood, demon blood in humans acts as a energizer. It will perk you up for a few days, but know nothing is without a price.

"After it wears off, you will be completely sapped of energy and will sleep very heavily for days. Also upon awaking you will begin to go through withdrawal, but you must fight it on your own as I will not give you anymore after this, and neither will the others. It is not something we do often, as either demons do not wish to do something like this with humans or, as it is in this case, we care about the human and do not wish to harm them.

"If you become too addicted, the withdrawal can drive you insane, I believe that is what you called it. And know that if everything is not completely out of your system by the time Lord Sesshoumaru and Lord Inuyasha return, they will be able to smell it and they will not be happy. Knowing all of this, the choice is yours. Do you want the boost of energy even with everything you will have to go through?" he questioned, not really wanting to give it to her, but it was not hard to see that she would soon collapse.

"Would I become violent during the withdrawal?" she inquired as she plucked him for her shoulder, placing him in her open hand so she could look at him directly. Seeing Myoga shake his head, Kagome closed her eyes for a moment as she thought over her options. While the idea of having some extra energy was tempting, she understood how what he was talking about was practically a drug. Was it really worth it to have to go through all of that just as soon as all of this was over?

Was she really willing to take something that she would become addicted to? After everything that had happened, and that was soon to, did she really want to add taking drugs on top of it? Already knowing the answer, Kagome shook her head to herself before turning her attention back to Myoga and shaking her head purposely. "No thank you, Myoga. I will be fine, this is almost over," she admitted as she glanced back toward the shrine sadly.

"I should be getting back to work, the flames have gone out. One question before you leave, since you'll probably want to get back on the road soon, do I need to worry about the smell attracting demons? I hadn't thought of it before since you are the first I've seen since this all started, but the last thing I need to worry about is a demon attacking or spreading the plague further," she told him, dreading his answer.

"No, strangely enough, the smell of ill humans deters demons from coming too close. Humans taste horrible when sick. You may have one show up out of desperation, but their aura will destroy the plague if it happens to try to infect them. And, I'm not sure if you know this, but only demon fleas will feed off of demons, and we can't catch it. So you don't have to worry about any demons that show up and get away, spreading it. Take care of yourself, Lady Kagome," Myoga bid her with a soft smile before hopping off of her hand and quickly disappearing into the surrounding greenery.

Silently nodding her head in farewell, Kagome kept watch on the direction she was sure he headed in, even though she could no longer see him. More than wanting to watch him leave, she was not ready to turn to the task at hand, opting instead to procrastinate for a few short moments. Knowing it would not bode well to put things off for too long, Kagome silently nodded to herself before turning back and making her way toward the 'tub'.

* * *

Kagome stood silently, staring off into the horizon as she waited for this precise moment to arrive. As the dark sky began to give way, hues of red and purple began to replace it, heralding the dawn of a new day. Counting softly under her breath, Kagome prepared herself to return to the shrine, praying for an easier day than the last, but knew it was nothing more than wishful thinking. All she could really hope for would be to get through the day without any major problems.

Knowing she couldn't put things off any longer, Kagome squared her shoulders and began making her way toward the shrine, passing through the long forgotten barrier without even noticing it. Stepping into the dark room, the fire having gone out at some point during the night and no one able to rebuild it, and waited for her eyes to adjust. Soon enough they did and she found herself wishing they hadn't. Instantly she could see that the worst had happened.

Glancing around, she took a quick head count of the bodies she would need to remove and burn today, before making her way over toward the long cold fireplace and beginning to reheat and illuminate the room. After preparing and setting breakfast above the fire to cook, she turned back toward her task, knowing what needed to be done. Grabbing onto the edge of the futon belonging to the man she had dubbed the resident trouble marker, Kagome began to slowly back her way out of the shrine, dragging his cold body with her.

The entire way, she could feel the eyes of the other villagers watching her, unsure of what looks they were giving her, but she knew they couldn't be good. She couldn't blame them really, even though it was their choice to kick her out and she had warned them what would happen, but waking up the next morning to find seven of yours friends, and for some family, had passed away during the night had to be horrifying, especially when they were already frightened.

Hearing the door close behind her, grateful it block her from their prying eyes, Kagome continued on toward the 'tub' before quickly setting him up to cremate. Not quick enough in her opinion, the fire was started and she made her way back into the shrine. Ignoring the still living villagers, as she could not deal with them at that moment, she grabbed onto the next futon and repeated her earlier actions, over and over until the job was finished.

Once they were all outside, she began to wrap them, careful to remove their name tags from their pockets, gently sliding them into an opening in the cloth surrounding them so she wouldn't mix them up accidentally. Finally done, she made her way back into the shrine after cleaning up and set about handing out breakfast to those that were left. As she did so, she began a tally of those remaining and the symptoms they were showing.

Just as she had handed out the last helping and turned back to put on some tea, the woman she had just served grabbed onto her arm, stopping her before she had gotten to far away. "Are you sure there is nothing else you can do to help us?" she inquired in between coughing fits that wracked her frail body. Her tone was enough to assure Kagome she was not being rude or placing the blame on her, perhaps simply wondering if she had been able to come up with any ideas during the night.

Wishing more than anything that she could just lie to the woman, to give her and the others some kind of hope, Kagome turned back to her with a sad smile, her head shake barely noticeable. "There is nothing more that I could do save allow you peace," she informed her softly, praying none would wish for that option, knowing she did not wish to ever go through it again, but understanding they deserved to have the choice.

She could not even imagine what they where going through, how painful it was for them just to breath, but she was sure that if she had been in their place, she would want for the option. No matter how it effected the other person involved. Noticing the room had fallen silent once again, Kagome went to continued on toward the fireplace, only to be stopped once again, this time by the woman's whispered words. "Would you be willing to do so for me, Lady Kagome?"

Unable to speak for a long moment, Kagome simply stared at her silently, before finally giving her the briefest of nods. "I will not even bother to ask if you are sure, I can not image the pain you are in. If this is what you want, then I will help you," she assured her, giving the older woman a slight smile as she nodded her head in understanding and acceptance. Giving her one last nod of her own, Kagome made her way back over to sit down beside her, positioning her fingers at her temples.

Just as her fingers came into contact with her skin and Kagome closed her eyes as she began to call out her powers, she could hear others around her asking for them same, giving them a slight nod to let them know she had heard them. As before, as the power flowed from her finger tips, she could 'see' it traveling through her veins, pushing the plague toward her heart. Once it had all collected, Kagome poured as much into her as she could, feeling her aura flare up around her in a bright, light as the woman's own, left her eyes.

* * *

The night had been long, seemingly having no end for Kagome, who had spent the entire time preparing the bodies for burial. As the dawn of another day began to make itself known over the horizon, she could tell that the end was near. Though it would come sooner than she had thought, as the last surviving villager was all that greeted her when she made her way back into the shrine. Glancing around, she had confirmed his status, as not a single person other than the two of them remained, dead or alive, within these walls.

Seeing his frightened expression, as he huddled by himself in the corner, Kagome began to make her way over toward him, a slight smile on her face that she hoped would help to calm him down. "Would you like to hear a story?" she inquired softly as she sat down beside him, knowing he too did not have long for this world. Seeing his quick nod, her smile brighten as she held out her hands to him, offering her lap for a seat, which he readily took up.

Waiting until he was comfortable, she began her story, "Once upon a time, there was an evil half-demon who could strike fear in the hearts of all that crossed his path. What most did not know, was he was not a normal half-demon, one born of a demon and human couple, but was in fact born human. He was a thief, horribly burned in a fire and under the care of a priestess. As things sometimes go, the man fell in love with the woman taking care of him, but his feelings were not to be returned.

"In desperation, willing to do anything to have the woman who had stolen his heart, the thief made a deal with demons, offering up his body in return for their power. What he did not know, is you can not always trust a demon not to go back on their deal and instead of being able to use their power to have the priestess, he was instead pushed into the back of the demons' minds, as they took full control of his body, resulting in them becoming one entity: Naraku.

"As many demons did, Naraku craved power, and believed his way to obtain ultimate power was to possess and wish upon the Shikon no Tama, a jewel brought into creation by the great priestess, Midoriko. In his quest to claim it for himself, he tricked the priestess that had been loved by the thief and the half-demon that she herself had loved, resulting in her death and his being bound for 50 years. But Naraku still did not control the jewel as the priestess had been burned with it, sending it to follow her soul into the next life, which would not come for 500 years.

"No one really knows what transpired in all those years, but the jewel was all but forgotten, save for by elderly shrine priests, thought to be senile. It wasn't until the priestess's reincarnation came too close to a seemingly old, dry well, and was pulled back into the past by a centipede demon, brought to life by, and seeking the jewel, that it returned to the world. Now lost in a past far removed from her own time, the girl was scared and alone.

"But the fear did not last long as she soon stumbled upon the half-demon, still bound to his tree, and awoken him. Because of a mistake she made, not long after releasing him, the jewel was shattered and they began their long journey, along with many friends they met along the way, to recollect the shards, hoping to remove the jewel from existence forever. Attracted by the power of the jewel, the band of friends were attacked by many demons wishing to possess it, but they prevailed and became stronger for it.

"Eventually they began to cross paths with Naraku, who was also collecting the shards, and rushed to get them before he could. But it was not meant to be and when he had almost completed it, the girl did the only thing she could do and re-shattered the jewel in the same way she had done the first time. But it was not all for nothing as they managed to kill Naraku and the second time of gathering the shards went much quicker than the first.

"This time, the jewel was completed and wished away by one of her companions. And one day in the future the Shikon no Tama will be completely forgotten about, only this time, it will never return," Kagome finished, glancing down to find the young boy still in her arms. Ignoring the tears that began to course their way down her cheeks, leaving burning trails in their wake, she carefully rose to her feet and began to carry him out of the shrine.

As she waited for the other body to finish burning, she gently wrapped the boy, placing him nearby when she had finished. Without even noticing what she was doing, Kagome went through the, now well known steps, and by the time she had finished crying, and brought herself back into the present, the previous body was already done and buried, the small boy now in its place within the tub. No longer having anyone in need of her care, Kagome simply sat down nearby to watch as the flames grew larger, hotter, allowing herself to cry again.

The hours passed her by unnoticed as she sat there silently, mesmerized by the dancing flames. Feeling her head fall, as she began to drift off to sleep, Kagome shook herself awake to find the fire had gone out some time before, realizing after a moment that she had indeed fallen asleep. As she moved closer to deal with his ashes, she could still feel the heat pouring out of the 'tub' and knew it had only been a little while.

In a hurry to go home and be done with this nightmare, she quickly, though still respectfully, readied his ashes for burial, saying a soft prayer over his grave as she piled dirt on top of his grave box. Scratching his name into the grave marker, Kagome turned back, heading down the hill for what she hoped was the last time, and made her way toward her dying campfire. Grabbing one of the logs, by the unburnt side, she began to make her way around the village, lighting each hut on fire as she went.

Ending at the shrine, Kagome released the barrier before going inside, making a quick check to ensure she hadn't some how missed someone, before making her way back out and lighting the shrine of fire as well. As the dark, gloomy puffs of gray smoke began to billow up toward the sky, Kagome turned and began making her way toward her own village, silently searching herself for any signs of the darkness to be certain she did not bring it back with her.


	20. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all of its characters are property of the brilliant Takahashi-sama and I claim no ownership of them.

* * *

AN: Congrats to the winner of round 15, Lady of Dreams and Nightmares, for the correct answer of Warriors of the West. This chapter is dedicated to you. Round 16: "Sesshoumaru saying no would have been a disappointment, Rin saying no would be a rejection." Good luck everyone :).

Chapter 19

Completely exhausted from the events that occurred over the last two weeks, Kagome barely managed to drag her feet all the way back to her village. As it was, she needed to use Kikyou's shoulder as a crutch after arriving and beginning to speak with her. "No one," she began, turning from Kikyou to Sango to make sure she had their undivided attention, "is allowed to return to the village until I say otherwise." Having given her instructions, she turned and made her way toward her own hut.

Too tired to pay much attention, Kagome did not see the extra futons in her room, merely collapsed onto her own and closed her umber eyes. Not a moment later, she could feel the presence of the other two priestesses and cracked an eye open at them in annoyance when they moved to check on her. "Kikyou leave. I may only be ill from exhaustion, but I will not take any chances with my pregnant sister," she insisted in a weak, but firm tone.

"Worry not, onee-sama, I shall see to the child's needs," Kaede assured her, watching as her 'older' sister nodded her head and began making her way back out of the hut. Ready to set to work, Kaede made her way over to the chest on the other side of the room, quickly finding a small cloth and turned back to begin wiping the sweat from Kagome's brow. As she did, the younger girl opened her eyes once again, apparently noticing her for the first time.

"You need to get out too. I will not take any chances of making you sick either, Kikyou will not be able to handle all of the villagers on her own. You can not afford to get ill either," Kagome insisted, waving her hand away and gesturing toward the door. Kaede watched over to silently for a few moments before sighing to herself and doing as she was instructed. Though she knew she was perfectly fine taking care of her, with no risk to herself, she did not wish to aggravate her anymore.

Apparently already expecting this outcome, the others watched unsurprised as Kaede returned not long after Kikyou had explained what had happened. "I'll try," Souta informed him, rolling his eyes as his sister's over protectiveness before making his way into the hut, only to be thrown out a moment later as they had been, Kagome's words of not endangering children heard by all. "Any one else want to take a stab at it?" he inquired as he glanced over at the demons, figuring they would have a better chance of staying inside longer than a few moments.

Nodding his head, Jaken grumbled under his breath about weak humans being scared off by one sick and tired girl before heading into the hut himself. As soon as he had crossed the threshold into her room, Kagome turned to him with a rather human-like growl. "Get out! I will not take any chances with you either, you have to watch the children. Just keep everyone out," she demanded and sure he would listen just as the others had, she closed her eyes and began to drift off.

"Humph," he mumbled under his breath completely ignoring her words as he moved to grab the cloth and began wiping her brow, regaining her attention. Staring her directly in the eye, he told her, "I am perfectly safe in here with you as your human ailments do not affect me. You need someone to help take care of you and it is either me or I will send the priestess back in." Hearing his threat, she stared at him in shock for a moment before deciding it was an idle one.

"You wouldn't dare," she tired to call his bluff, but Jaken simply stood there silently staring at her, unwilling to back down from his threat. Giving up, as she was far too tired to have a staring contest with a demon that never seemed to blink, Kagome finally sighed before closing her eyes. "Fine, but no one and I mean no one else," she insisted and Jaken gave a quick sound of agreement before getting back to work.

* * *

"The village is on fire!" a nameless villager screamed, drawing everyone's attention in the direction the large buffs of black smoke were coming from. Before anyone had the chance to fully grasp what he had said, he rushed toward his home only to crash into a flickering, weak barrier that had sprouted up in his path. Confused and angered, he turned back to shout at Kikyou to let him go, only to be cut off by Sango.

"I thought you couldn't bring out your powers right now," Sango insisted, just as confused by the sudden barrier as the villager had. Not quite sure what was happening herself, Kikyou merely shook her head in response before turning toward Kaede, a questioning look adorning her face. Having not been the one to create the barrier, Kaede simply shook her head as she sister had done and the three of them turned to glance at the hut just as Kagome began making her way outside.

Leaning against the doorway for support, Kagome glared at the villager that had tried to leave. "I have already said that no one is to return to their village until told otherwise. I had to burn the village to make sure the plague was destroyed," she explained just as Jaken came up behind her, complaining about her needing to get back in bed and not use up any more energy than she already had. Shooing him away for a moment, Kagome turned back toward the villager as he began to question where the others were.

"There are no others. Every villager that is not here, died. The village was hit by the black death, it is incurable and fatal. They could not be saved," she told him before giving him one last warning glare not to try and leave again before heading back into hut and letting the barrier fall. She knew she did not have the strength to keep it going indefinitely and could only hope that they didn't try anything again. At least until she had gotten some sleep.

Unheard by her, the villagers began to complain about how she had not needed to burn the village, that she had killed their families. How she obviously knew a cure since she herself had not been infected. Before the other members of the pack had the chance to speak up in her defense, a tiny voice called out for everyone to be silent. Confused, everyone glanced around for who was speaking and with a questioning look aimed at her own hand, Kikyou raised it for the others to see.

"Lady Kagome is protected because she is a powerful priestess," Myoga explained, ignoring the dirty looks some of the villagers were giving him. "She had been up for the last two weeks taking care of your families with no sleep and no help. She has caused herself to become so tired that she is now ill because she was so busy helping them that she took no time for herself. Lady Kagome burned, dug graves and buried every single one of them all on her own.

"The only reason all of you are still alive is simply because she noticed what was wrong and was able to get the infected away from the healthy before all was lost. If you try to go back to your village before she gives the okay, and interrupt her much needed sleep, then she will be the least of your problems. For you will have to deal with us," Myoga warned them, knowing without even having to look, that every member of her pack, that was currently there, were nodding their heads in agreement.

* * *

For the first time in far too long, Kagome found herself awaking within her dream, opening her umber eyes to find Sesshoumaru sitting beside her, a concerned look on his normally stoic face. "You have not slept," he pointed out, not as a question but as a statement, already knowing the answer. "I have searched for you within your dreams for two weeks without luck, tell me Kagome, what has kept you awake far longer than is healthy?"

Instead of answering right away, Kagome collapsed against his chest, allowing her pent up tears to finally fall as he wrapped his strong arms around her in a comforting embrace. "The black plague," she answered after a few minutes, refusing to release her grip on the front of his shirt. "It hit Kaede's village and, while our pack is fine, many of the villagers were not so lucky. I was not here because if I slept I would never want to wake up to face the horrors I saw and there was much work to be done.

"Your aura protected me so I was the only one that was safe to help those that were dying. I wanted so badly to curl up in your arms, to find comfort in your presence, but I would be unable to leave, unable to go back to the real world. And I don't even know if everything I did made even the slightest difference. In the end they all died, most of which hated me, blamed me for not being sick while they were.

"I wanted to call you back, demand you come back and take care of me, but I knew doing so would endanger Daichi and I could never live with myself if I had ever put any member of our pack at risk. Promise me Sesshoumaru, now that the worst is over and I am back with the pack to help me, promise me you will not return home just to comfort me when you are still needed there," she pleaded as she pulled back just far enough so she could look his straight in the eye.

"You have my word, Kagome. As much as I hate to give it, I understand and agree with your reasoning. But for now, as you will no doubt remain asleep for days, I will spend as much time with you as I can. Inuyasha is under orders to retrieve me if I am needed. Until then, I am all yours," he told her softly as he laid back on the futon, pulling her to lay along side him. Wrapping his arms firmly around her waist, Sesshoumaru breathed in her scent deeply, basking in the presence he had been denied for far too long.

"What is happening on your side? We've received no word from Kouga since you left and you never speak of it in our dreams. How is the war coming? Close to the end or will it be years before I can see my mate when I am awake? There is news to be given, but it is something that should be spoken face to face. And if it wasn't for these dreams, we would have no way of knowing if you guys were even still alive."

"The war is moving slowly, neither side is winning. In order to win a demon war, the leader of the opposing army must fall, but he has hidden himself away and is not on the battlefield as he should be. He is a coward, but it is taking a toll on his army, already some have abandoned him for his cowardice. Demons do not fight for another who is too weak to fight themselves. It is quite different than many wars you humans have fought.

"The leader does not sit in camp deciding on battle plans or watch from the hilltop as his soldiers fight below. A leader of a demon army is at the front line, battling against his opponent. I am there waiting, but he does not show. The only other way to obtain victory is to kill every member of his army, but most, myself including, prefer not to go this way as we do not have a grudge against them. Wounding is a given, but a demon's death in war is very rare.

"And even then it is usually either the leader, or a one on one fight that takes place away from the main battle. Our armies are really only there to insure that one side does not cheat in their battle, or we would simply meet in a duel. But that is enough about demon war politics," Sesshoumaru decided as he glanced down and found her beginning to drift off in her dream. "Inuyasha and Miroku are fine. The monk has not seen action yet, the demons refuse to fight him and he instead tends the wounded.

"Inuyasha has found a few to pick a fight with, but mostly they were on our side and simply insulted his human half. Even I have seen very little of the battle, without my opponent there, as his army leaves me be. If this continues, soon I will simply have to seek him out in order to end the war. I would have done so already, but it is simply not how things are done. Sleep now, Kagome, I will be here," he promised as he settled in next to her and pulled her tightly to his chest.

* * *

The next few days passed without incident, though there were a few whispered complaints, but Kagome was able to get a good amount of sleep before hunger awoke her. Yawning as she was pulled back into the waking world, she moved to sit up only to find herself entangled and unable to move. Confused, she opened her eyes to find herself surrounded by the pack's children crammed onto her futon.

Smiling softly to herself, she untangled their limbs before slowly rising to her feet, careful not to wake them. Making her way out into the pre-dawn air, tiptoeing around the sleeping villagers in the main room, Kagome headed toward the fire and began to rebuild it. Soon the fire was glowing brightly and, sure it would not go out, she set to work on preparing breakfast. Moments later, she was joined by Sango and Kikyou who had apparently awoken when she had.

"I'm fine, I need to stretch my legs anyways," she assured them, seeing the concerned looks they shared and knowing they were unsure if she should be up and moving around already. "If it will alleviate your fear any, you could always help me," she offered seeing they still seemed to not be happy about her being out of bed. After a moment, and a shared look was passed between them, they finally nodded before making their way over to help.

Hearing someone else exit the hut and join them, Kagome, without having to look to see who it was, called softly over her shoulder, "After breakfast I want you to begin gathering tools to rebuild, Jaken. We'll have to make them ourselves, but it should not be difficult to acquire the wood and stones needed for them. I'd say a half-dozen hammers and axes, a few hundred nails and I believe Inuyasha still has the saw I brought from home a few years back. It should be in Kikyou's chest.

"Take the boys with you and a couple of the villagers so you won't have to make as many trips out into the forest. I will set up a group working on them as soon as you return with the first batch. Kikyou, I need you to take an inventory of what we will still need for them and ourselves once this is all over. Sango I would like you to instruct the women on how to make the tools. I will be needing the remainder of the men for something else."

"Are you sure you should be out of bed already, miko-san?" Jaken inquired, having no qualms about directly asking her the question on everybody's mind. Instead of answering, she turned to glare at him for a moment before going back to breakfast. "Do not give me that look, it may work on your human companions, but it will not on me. Their lives are not the ones on the line if anything were to happen to you. So I ask again, are you should you should be out of bed already?"

"Yes, Jaken, I am sure. I can not sleep any longer and I am starving and I do not wish to eat in bed. I may not have caught up on all my missed sleep, but I have gotten enough that I am no longer fatigued or sick and there is still plenty of things I need to do. If it will make you feel any better, Sesshoumaru already knows that I was planning on getting up today. While he may not have been completely happy about the idea, he did agree with me," she explained before turning toward the girls who were now sitting beside her.

"They are fine. Miroku has been unable to see battle, apparently the demons refuse to fight a human during a war so instead he has merely been tending to those who were hurt. Inuyasha has only fought demons are their side because they have insulted him, the other side won't go near him, probably for the same reason as Miroku. And Sesshoumaru seems to be rather bored. Apparently during demon wars, they don't actually kill each other, they are more there to make sure one side does not cheat than anything else.

"At least that's what Sesshoumaru told me, but truthfully I think they just want a chance to fight. The only one Sesshoumaru is supposed to fight is you know who," she explained, deciding to refer to him as such in case Daichi had woken up and could hear their conversation. "But he has been hiding and has yet to come to the battle. That was the update Sesshoumaru gave me during one of our dreams," she finished, giving the girls a reassuring smile that their husband, or mate as the case may be, were alright.


	21. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all of its characters are property of the brilliant Takahashi-sama and I claim no ownership of them.

* * *

AN: Congrats to the winners of round 16, InuLover and Husbandsangel, with the correct answer of They are Pack. This chapter is dedicated to you and I should send you the link for your banners tomorrow. Round 17: "It is time to punish my mate." Good luck everyone.

Chapter 20

Waiting until Jaken and the others had disappeared from sight, Kagome turned and began the trek back to the other village, not looking forward to seeing what she knew would be there, but it had to be done before they could being working on rebuilding. And she knew that the sooner things were completed, the sooner everyone could start living again, herself included. As much as she wished to never return to the village again, her job was not yet complete.

And once again, she was the only one she could risk sending until she was sure it was safe. Stopping at the edge of the tree line, Kagome paused to close her eyes, taking a few deep breaths to calm herself. Deciding not to put things off any longer, she opened her eyes after only a minute or two and stepped through the dense forestry, able to smell the burnt wood the instant she stepped into the clearing. Putting the still lingering stench of burning flesh out of her mind, Kagome allowed her powers to spread out from her body, searching every inch of the village for any remaining darkness.

"Everything seems to be alright," Kagome commented out loud to herself, more due to the fact that the silence was beginning to unnerve her than actually needing to vocalize her thoughts. Glancing around the ghost-town village one last time, she turned and began making her way back to her own, silently praying that the following days would go by quickly and soon be forgotten, though she knew there was no real chance of that ever happening.

Hearing voices coming from in front of her, knowing it meant she would soon be home, Kagome steeled herself and broke through the tree line surrounding her village. As she did, she could feel all eyes turning toward her in question, but paid most of them little mind and made her way over toward her group surrounding a campfire. "We're going to begin clearing out the debris. When Jaken returns, can you have him start making the tools with the other villagers?" she inquired turning toward Kikyou who nodded her head in agreement.

"Sango make sure we had enough food to last us the next few days at least, but over estimate since quite a few of us will be working away most of the days and will need more energy," she warned her and after receiving her second nod of agreement, gave them a quick smile before turning her attention to the villagers behind her. "I need every man not currently working on a task to come with me. Women are welcome if they want to join us, but we will be clearing the rubble and it will be a daunting task requiring physical strength.

"Also some of you may not be able to take the sight of the village right now, so any feint of heart should remain here. Everyone who is coming, follow me," Kagome instructed before turning and making her way back toward the village yet again. At the very least this time, she knew she wouldn't have to deal with the silence. Already she could hear some of the men following her grumbling about her actions, but wisely choose to ignore them.

Once they had broken through the tree line, she turned back to get their attention, ignoring their gasps and insulting grumbles. "Get into groups of three or four and begin moving the burnt wood and debris away from the village. We'll be starting a pile over there," she began, gesturing to where she was referring to, "There is no more plague in the village, so you do not have to worry about getting infected and the sooner we get this done, the sooner we can start rebuilding."

Having said all she wanted to, Kagome turned and began making her way toward the ruins of the closest hut and promptly followed her own instructions. It wasn't until she was on her way back from dropping off the first burnt log, that she realized the villagers were all still standing exactly where they had been when they first arrived. "Hey get to work. I realize you are not happy about this, but I only did what needed to be done to protect the rest of you.

"And I know you do not want to spend more time in my village, so get to work and we will have yours up and running again as soon as possible. But I will tell you this now, I will not be doing all of the work. Each of you need to carry your own weight as well," she insisted, ignoring yet another comment about how there was no reason for her to burn down the village in the first place and how she had done so, so it was her responsibility to rebuild.

Figuring playing the good cop wasn't going to work, Kagome mentally calculated how much work each of them needed to do and set to work on getting her own share done, completely ignoring the fact that they continued to remain as is. An hour passed and then another as she worked under the heat of the sun, her share becoming smaller and smaller while the rest of the village remained untouched. Still she did not falter, worry about the group of men insulting her behind her back, making sure to be just loud enough she could hear them.

Dropping her last log onto the pile, Kagome dusted off her charcoal covered hands and began making her way back toward the group of villagers, a large, confident smile adorning her calm face. "My share is done and I am going back to my village to rest. The rest of you have work to do," she told them yet again as she moved to walk passed them, only to stop at the last moment to call over her shoulder, "Anyone who does not do their share will not be joining us for dinner tonight.

"So either stop acting like children and do the same amount of work I have done, or go hunting yourself. Anyone who does not finish their work and does not show up for dinner, will no longer be welcome staying at my village. I have no problem helping those who aren't too lazy to help themselves, who are willing to carry their own weight, but I am tired of being blamed for saving all of your lives.

"I did not bring the plague here, I stopped it from spreading. I spent two weeks watching over people who were slowly dying, burning their bodies and burying them. All of this I did with no sleep and very little time to rest. I suffered through their insults and their accusations because they were scared and in pain, you have no excuse. You all are lucky enough to have survived and instead of thanking me, you treat me like I caused all of this.

"Well news flash, I didn't and I will no longer put up with your crap. Mumble under your breath, insult me, give me dirty looks all you want, just do your part at the same time." Even as she prayed she had gotten through to at least a few of them, Kagome continued on her way without looking back. Soon as she had arrived home, she made her way over to the campfire, accepting the cup of tea Jaken offered with a smile.

"The tools are well underway and should be finished by tonight. I sent the boys out hunting again and am expecting them back any minute. How are things going over at the village?" Jaken inquired after a moment, giving a slight nod to Kikyou and Sango who sat down nearby having started toward them the moment they noticed her return. Instead of answering at first, Kagome drew in a few long, deep breaths.

"Well my share of the work is done, however, the men are probably all still standing around twiddling their thumbs, just as they have been since we arrived a few hours ago. I got tired of wasting my breath and decided to just do my share and get out of there. You can only stand people burning holes in your back for so long and you know what? I'm done. No more misses nice girl, oh no, Kagome is done playing the welcome mat.

"These villagers have walked all over me for the last time. I don't mind the insults or the glares or the blaming me for stuff I had no control over, but you see that?" Kagome inquired as she gestured toward the group of women villagers who were currently working on making tools before turning back to her pack. "See that? That is why I prefer being a woman, we can multitask. They blame me, they insult me, they glare at me, all the while, still working. But the men?

"Oh no, no they can't do anything while they are busy making me out to look like a murderer all because I couldn't cure something that won't have a cure for another 500 years, if even then!" she screamed before taking a deep breath and beginning again, "I get that they're upset, I really do, but what more do they want from me? I have nothing left to give. I'm already stretched as thin as humanly possible.

"I am weak and tired and still I am doing my share, but they can't even clear a few ruins. No more, that's it. No more good cop, time for bad cop." Seeing the confused looks she was receiving, Kagome explained, "It's a trick police officers do in my time. When they have a suspect in custody, sometimes one cop will play the good guy and his partner the bad guy. One talks calmly and patiently, acts like the guy's friend, the other yells and screams and treats him like crap.

"But that's not the point, the point is it's time for bad cop Kagome. And I've already told the men that if they don't do their share at the village, then they are not eating dinner with us. And if they do not eat dinner with us tonight, then they are no longer welcome staying here. We are all busting our butts taking care of them, getting their village ready to rebuild, feeding them, putting our lives on hold just for them and they couldn't be more ungrateful."

"Now that's the Kagome we know and love," Sango joked after a few moments of silence had passed over the group, causing everyone to laugh. "Truthfully, we were all wondering how long you were going to be so passive, it wasn't like you. The villagers seem to forget that we're only human, well some of us anyways," she paused to look at Jaken, "and that there is only so much we can do. I wouldn't worry too much though, the thought of getting no food should get them moving."

"I hope so, the plan is to start rebuilding tomorrow, which can't be done until the debris is clear. I don't want to have to push things back for those who are doing their share, but I also don't want to do the others' parts either. Who knows, maybe my luck will finally turn around and when I go to check later, they will all be working," Kagome prayed out loud, not really believing there was a chance for that to happen, but still wishing all the same.

* * *

As Kagome stood silently, watching the villagers secretly from behind the safety of the trees, she couldn't help but breath a sigh of relief. The men she had left back in the ruin village were now all working, perhaps not as quickly as she would have liked, but they were clearing away the destroyed huts and that was really all that mattered to her. Glancing up toward, what little she could see through the trees of, the sky she noticed the sun would soon be setting which would mark the time for dinner.

Not wanting them to miss out on eating, now that they were finally listening to her, Kagome made her way out of the forest and began helping to clear the first hut she came to. The villagers currently working on it gave her a strange look and she shrugged her shoulders informing them, "It's almost dinner time. It'll get finished faster if I help and as I said before, I don't mind helping those willing to help themselves."

Turning back to the task before her, Kagome began making her way around the village, helping each group to clear a few loads from their piles, completely losing track of time until she noticed Jaken was making his way over toward her. Realizing the sun was already setting over the horizon, she knew before he began to speak what he was there for. "Supper is ready, miko-san. Should I ask them to hold off for a bit?" he inquired as he glanced around and saw how much work they still had to do.

"No we'll be right there," she decided before turning her attention back to the village men. "Alright everyone listen up!" she called out, continuing once she had everyone's attention, "Dinner is ready and if all of you will promise to come back as soon as it's over, we can go now. However, we need to finish this up tonight so we can start rebuilding tomorrow. The others have already made the tools we will need. So I'll leave it up to you.

"Eat now and come back after dark or finish up and then go eat. I'll let them know to keep our food warm if you chose the latter." And instant later they began to speak in unison, choosing to eat first. "Very well, but the moment we are all finished, we are coming straight back," she warned them before turning toward Jaken, giving him a slight nod and making her way back toward her village with the others following close behind.

"The women wanted me to inform you that the first few sets of clothing are finished and that you can hand them out whenever you wish. There are three shirts and pants ready," Jaken told her as they continued to walk toward home and with a nod, Kagome began to think of ways to pass them out. Originally she was just going to start with the men that needed them the most, but judging by the status of their clothing, pretty much all of them were in need of new clothes.

Arriving home, Kagome made her way toward Kikyou and Sango to help them continue to pass out supper before sitting down with her own share once they were finished. "We're good on food for the next few days, even with the extra need from those working at the village. Water maybe a problem, but I already plan on heading out first thing tomorrow for more. Our biggest problem right now is the dishes, everyone here is busy with the tasks we gave them, so it's up to us to do up everyone's. Which is fine, we can handle is, as long as you don't want us doing anything else tonight," Sango joked as she sat down next to Kagome.

"No that's fine and if you want, save me a share to do as well. I can get to them as soon as we finish up at the village, which shouldn't be too much longer. And no, after that, we're done for the night. Everyone's going to need to get to sleep early since we're starting to rebuild tomorrow and even if you aren't over there, there will still be plenty of things that need to be done here. Also I'm going to need to snag a few of your women workers, I'll need them to pass out water at the village."

The pack soon fell into silence, each more interested in the plate in front of them rather than holding a conversation and it wasn't long before Kagome had finished, once again rising to her feet. Glancing around the clearing, she saw that most of the men were finishing up as well and decided to give them a few more minutes while she got started on the dishes. Walking around, as she gathered up those that were empty, she decided on the best course of action for figuring out who would get the first sets of new clothing.

Handing off the plates she had collected to Kikyou and Sango, since her group was now finished eating, she gestured for them to follow her and began making her way back toward the ruined village. Soon as everyone was there and making their way toward the huts they had been clearing before dinner, she called out loud enough for everyone to hear her, "I have been informed that three sets of clothing have been finished.

"And since you all are working in groups of three, the first group to clear their hut, will receive the clothes. You may begin!" The men simply stared at her in silence for a few moments until she smiled to let them know she was serious and set to work, moving much faster than they had been earlier in the day. Hearing a twig snap behind her, Kagome turned to find Jaken walking toward her, his yellow eyes on the men scurrying about rather than on her.

"Considering the problems you have had with them today, is it really a good idea to reward them for such behavior, miko-san?" Jaken inquired as he stood beside her, not unaware of the fact that they did seem to move much faster than he would have expected them to. For a moment, Kagome remained silent as she watched them work in satisfaction before finally turning her attention completely on Jaken with a smile.

"I am not rewarding them for their bad behavior, more for the ability to work passed their anger toward me and do their share. I learned a long time ago, that people tend to work better when there is something in it for them. And I don't believe it's simply greed, like most people do. I just think that when people have something to look forward to, it makes them happy and happy people work faster. And I did think about giving it to the other men, those that went hunting and such since I haven't heard of them giving you guys any problems.

"But truthfully, these guys need them more. Their clothes are getting ruined much faster than the others and this is our problem group. Things will be a lot easier for all of us if I can put them into a better mood. And if all it takes is them realizing that there is something in it for them, other than a village that I myself burned to the ground, than my life will be a lot easier," Kagome admitted before turning back to the villagers as one group started to cheer.

"I see we have a winner," she called out with a smile, clapping for the group while the others looked on with grumbles. "Alright everyone, let's get this finished up so we can go to bed, we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow. You three, see Kikyou when we return to the village and she'll give you guys your prize," she informed them before turning her attention back to the huts that still needed to be cleared and began helping out yet again. A few moments later, she realized even Jaken had come down to help.


	22. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all of its characters are property of the brilliant Takahashi-sama and I claim no ownership of them.

* * *

AN: Congrats to InuLover and XxMzMaryJaneWhitlockxX for the correct answer of The demon in me. This chapter is dedicated to you and I will be getting around to catching up on the banners probably tomorrow. Sorry I am so far behind on those. Round 18: "I'm going to have one good moment today, even if it kills me." Good luck everyone.

Chapter 21

"Alright everyone, it's time to head into the village and get to work. If you are scheduled to go with me, make sure you grab your assigned tools and come to me. We'll be leaving in just a minute," Kagome called out after making sure everyone was awake and outside, before moving to stand on the edge of the clearing. As she waited for them to do as instructed, she turned her attention to Kikyou and Sango who were just beginning to get breakfast started.

"Have someone come inform us when it's ready and Jaken," she paused to turn toward him, "you'll be coming with me today. Bring Ah-Un with you, please." Receiving nods from each of them, she glanced around once more to make sure everyone, that should be, was with her and turned to lead them toward the other village. "Today everyone will be working in groups of three. There are three jobs, gathering the wood, building the huts and gathering the stuff to build the roofs.

"If you happen to get a job you don't really care for, don't worry about it, we'll be switching after each meal. So you'll only have to deal with it for a few hours. I will be putting Jaken in charge while I'm gone, I'm going to be seeing if I can get some supplies from nearby villages. Make sure you do follow his instructions, you do not want to deal with an annoyed Jaken, trust me," Kagome half-joked as they arrived at the village and she began forming groups and passing out jobs.

Once everyone was making their way toward the ruined village below, she turned her attention back to Jaken. "Though I hope not, some of them may give you some problems. I'd recommend helping them a little bit to help prevent that, but if they still give you trouble, just remind them that meals are only for those that are willing to do their share. I'll be back as soon as I can," she promised before taking Ah-Un's reigns and climbing onto its back.

"Be safe, miko-san," Jaken implored before watching as the two of them took off into the sky and quickly disappeared from his sight. Turning back to the villagers, Jaken found himself wishing she had not left him in charge, as he could already see them giving him dirty looks, but decided to pay them no mind. Figuring it would be best to follow her suggestion, Jaken went over the jobs in his mind to decide which would be a better fit for him.

As he was too small to try and carry the large logs all the way into the village and it was doubtful they would trust any work on the huts he might do, he decided his best option would be to gather the supplies needed for the roofs and set about making mud nearby, so the villagers wouldn't have to walk far to get it. As Jaken began making his first trips back and forth to the river for water, he knew that it was going to be a long day and prayed Kagome would return quickly.

"Good morning, where can I find the headman?" Kagome inquired politely after leaving Ah-Un out in the forest where he wouldn't scare any of the villagers she would be needing help from and made her way into the small village. Thanking the woman who gestured toward the largest hut, Kagome turned and began making her way toward it only to be met half-way by an elderly man. "Are you the village head?"

Seeing him nod in affirmative, Kagome continued, "Good morning, I need to speak to you on a matter on behalf of Lady Kaede. May we go inside?" Smiling as she followed him inside, she nodded in thanks to the elderly woman who placed a cup of tea before each of them as they sat down on cushions before a low table. Waiting until the woman had left the room, she began again, "A few weeks ago Lady Kaede's village was struck by an illness.

"It has already been taken care of, but because of it, the huts had to be burned to prevent the spreading of the illness and now the surviving villagers are left without most basic supplies. I live in a small town next to the village and we've been housing them, giving them blankets and food, but we are starting to rebuild today and they will need much more especially with winter coming soon. So I am going village to village to see if you might have some extra supplies that you would be willing to trade for.

"We don't have much in surplus for now, however, if you have no objections, we can pay a little bit at a time as we get more. Also we have some trained demon hunters and priestesses that can purify your village if you have been having any problems of that sort," Kagome explained before taking a long sip of her hot tea, giving him a chance to think over what she had suggested and after a moment, the village head nodded to her with a smile.

"Actually you are in luck. One of our trade routes has fallen through recently and we have a surplus of crops that will spoil before this village could eat them all up. They won't be enough to last an entire village long, but they should help and we are in desperate need of furs. We had a small fire some days back and most of ours were destroyed before we could put it out. How does one fur per barrel of crops sound?" he inquired, smiling as Kagome's face lit up.

"It sounds perfect. We've had to hunt a lot more than usual lately and have plenty of furs. Is there any particular kind you need? We have bear and rabbit mostly, but also a few deer skins and some others. All of them have already been cleaned and dried," Kagome informed him with a smile, finishing off her tea before setting the cup back down on the table. Having had this meeting go so easily, she was anxious to see how well the next one would go.

"Bear mostly, we're in need of them for blankets more than anything. I can have the crops ready to be delivered tomorrow morning. If the furs are already done, would you be able to have them ready to pick up tomorrow as well?" he inquired and after receiving a nod, he continued, "Very well then we shall do the trade when the crops are delivered. My best estimate is about six barrels, so you will need about that many furs handy."

"I will and thank you very much," Kagome began as she rose to her feet and bowed as deeply as she could. "I should head out now though, I still have a few more villages to get to in the area. If you ever need some help in the future, please let us know and thank you again." Bowing one last time, Kagome made her way back outside and after waving goodbye, headed off toward where she had left Ah-Un to continue on her journey.

"Master Jaken!" Rin called out in a sing-song voice as she arrived at the village and found the small demon up to his elbows in a bucket of mud and mixing it. Not bothering to remove his hands, Jaken glanced over his shoulder at the smiling girl and gave her a questioning look. "Kikyou-san says it's time for breakfast and for everyone to get cleaned up and come eat." Having delivered her message, Rin waved goodbye and started making her way back, the image of Jaken covered in mud already replaying in her mind as she giggled.

"Alright everyone!" Jaken called out, waiting until he had their attention to continue, "Breakfast is ready. Get cleaned up and head back. Once breakfast is over, we will be getting back to work." Following his own instructions, Jaken quickly made his way toward the river and washed the mud from his arms before making his way back to the village, knowing the others would come when they were ready.

Soon enough they were all sitting down and being handed their food, quickly cleaning their plates as the extra work had caused them to be hungrier than usual. Once he was finished with his own, Jaken handed his plate back and made his way to the edge of the village, as Kagome had done earlier that morning, and waited for the others to finish as well. Though most began making their way over once they were done, a few seemed disinclined to do the same.

"It's time to head back since everyone is finished eating. Please join the rest of us if you were working at the village this morning," Jaken instructed, waiting for the men to obey only to find himself waiting. "Need I remind you of miko-san's words of warning if you do not do your share?" he inquired, earning glares and mumbled insults from the men refusing to listen. "I'm sorry, I could not hear you, would you mind repeating yourself?"

"I said," one of the village men began as he rose to his full height, hoping to intimidate the much shorter demon, "that she destroyed the village and that she can fix it. I don't see her here working, do you?" Jaken simply stood in silence for a few moments as he blinked at the villager in question before deciding Kagome's way of not letting them eat wasn't going to work for him. In no mood to listen to them whine after everything Kagome had gone through for them, Jaken raised his staff of two heads and shot a fire blast just inches from the villager's feet.

"If you do not get back to work, the next one won't miss. Miko-san is out getting supplies for you villagers and has already done well more than her share, but as anyone who knows her will tell you, will continue to work when she gets back. You are not hurting us by your refusal to help rebuild your village, you are hurting yourselves and your fellow villagers," Jaken pointed out flatly and watched in satisfaction as all but one of the men moved to stand near him.

The one that remained, glared at the other villagers before turning back to Jaken and spitting at his feet. Mumbling insults under his breath, he turned and made his way out of the village, in the opposite direction from what he was supposed to be going. Rolling his large, yellow eyes, Jaken turned toward Kaede as she moved to go after him. "Just leave him be, Lady Kaede. He will return once he realizes how stupid he is being and trying to talk him into it, will just be a waste of your breath."

Having left the last village she planned on visiting that day, Kagome had made her way back toward home and arrived just as everyone was sitting down to eat dinner. After receiving her plate and sitting down near the fire, she turned toward Jaken as he began speaking to her. "We got quite a bit done today with only one real problem. One of the village mean refused to return to work after breakfast and left after I shot fire at his feet."

"You shot fire at his feet?" Kagome repeated confused, nodding her head in understanding after Jaken had gestured toward the staff of two heads. "While I can understand your reasoning, I really wish you hadn't needed to do that. Fear will only make it harder for us to get the villagers to listen to us. You did at least try threaten them with not getting any food first, right?" she inquired, waiting for him to nod his head before continuing, "Well nothing we can do now and, trust me, I've wanted to do the same thing myself at times. How did things go after that?"

"With the exception of him, everyone else went back to work and actually worked quicker. We've got the foundations for three or four huts done and two roofs are almost ready to be put up. I think tomorrow, we might want to put more teams working on the walls, they seem to be going the slowest and it's backing up the other groups. Also, since I doubt he will be returning to work tomorrow, one of the teams will be one person short and we'll need to add one more villager."

"Tomorrow morning the other villages will be coming here to trade supplies, well to Lady Kaede's village anyways, and after that I'll join the team. I'm going to start work tomorrow after breakfast instead of before, that should help put the villagers in a better mood and make things easier for us. Plus the trades will go quicker and hassle free if there is no one there to bad mouth us. While the villagers are waiting to begin work, we'll carry over the stuff to trade.

"I got the villagers some crops and cloth for more clothes as well as some dishes. It won't be nearly enough for all of them, but it is a good start. Also the villages have agreed to spread the word so we may others showing up with more to trade over the next few weeks. For now, let's enjoy our dinner and I'll deal with the men afterward so you can get a break," she offered Jaken and with a slight nod, he agreed.


	23. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all of its characters are property of the brilliant Takahashi-sama and I claim no ownership of them.

* * *

AN: No correct answer yet so extending this round. Round 18: "I'm going to have one good moment today, even if it kills me." Good luck everyone. And sorry this chapter is so late, I have not had the time lately.

Chapter 22

"Great job everyone, with this hut complete, we are officially half way done," Kagome informed them with a smile as she surveyed the work done over the last few weeks by the villagers. Though she still occasionally had problems with one or two of them, since they had moved into the village, after the first few homes had been completed, things had been able to settle down. Which she, of course, was grateful for, especially since it allowed everyone to work much faster.

"No that frame should be over another two feet or the roofs are going to be way too close when finished," she pointed out, interrupting two of the village men who were in the process of setting up the next frame in place. As they glanced up to answer and let her know that they understood, their attention was caught by something behind her and realizing she no longer had their attention, Kagome glanced over her shoulder to see what had distracted them.

What she found caused her to do a double take before believing the army of men marching toward her were really there. Around her, Kagome could hear the others stopping, no doubt turning to see what the commotion was about. Watching as the man group stayed back and she was only approached by a few of them, Kagome waited silently for them to speak rather than demand to know why they were there, figuring someone had probably complained about the number of demons in the area.

"We have been informed of a criminal hiding out in the area," one of the men, most likely the one in charge, explained as he gave Kagome a once over before glancing around at the villagers. Turning back to her he continued, "She is a murderer impersonating a priestess." Thrown off by his words, Kagome could do little more than stand there staring at him in silence until he apparently grew tired of waiting and moved to speak to one of the village men.

"Sir, forgive me, but I believe you are in the wrong village. There are only three priestesses in the area and I assure you none of them are murderers or impersonators. Perhaps you were thinking of another village nearby. As you can see, we are in the middle of rebuilding and do not even have enough for those that live here, we could not possibly spread things out for another person as well," she assured him, regaining his attention.

Before he had the chance to respond, a shout rang out behind Kagome and they both turned to find one of the villagers appearing from the treeline. "She is the murderer," he informed them, gesturing toward Kagome though his eyes remained fixed on the soldier. Thoroughly confused by his words, Kagome gave him a once over, fully noticing him for the first time and realized exactly who he was. Though she hadn't put a face to him before now, she knew that she had not seen him in weeks.

"Your grieving will only last as an excuse for so long," Kagome informed him as she shook her head in both sympathy and annoyance before turning back to the soldier. "Forgive him, sir, for wasting your time. He is confused due to his grief over loosing his family. This village was recently hit with the Black Death and in order to prevent it from spreading, I had to burn the village to the ground. As you can see, we are currently rebuilding," she explained as she gestured to the work in progress village. "He blames me because I was unaffected by the plague and unable to save those that were."

"That may very well be true, however, our lord must decide that for himself. We are required to arrest you," he insisted as he gestured toward the men who were with him and motioned for them to place her in their custody. Always ready to jump to her defense, the members of Kagome's pack that were helping rebuild in the village moved to intercept and stopped them, only to be prevented from doing so as Kagome raised her hand.

"Do not worry about it, everything will be just fine," Kagome assured them as she glanced at each of them in turn. "They are simply doing their job and all of you, have a job to do as well. Kikyou will be in charge while I am away. Right now, the only thing that matters is rebuilding this village. Concentrate on that and nothing else. I will get this worked out and return," she promised before turning back toward the waiting soldiers.

As she did, a set of shackles were secured around her wrists and once again, the others moved to interrupt. "Trust me guys, this will be resolved much quicker if no one causes any problems. I too have a job to do here and I will return soon to complete it, you can rest assured that I will not be gone long." Seeing they were going to follow her instructions, Kagome graced them with a reassuring smile before allowing herself to be lead out of the village.

Behind her, she could hear the villager calling out that he would see her burned for murdering his family and the rest of the villagers. Torn between wanting to pity him and beating some sense into him, Kagome opted instead to roll her umber eyes, knowing the others were sure to do at least one of them, if not both, for her. "Leave, your safety can no longer be insured after harming one of their pack," Kaede explained as she gestured toward the demons who were looking quite pissed off.

Seeing himself quickly becoming outnumbered with the soldiers leaving, he turned toward the other villagers to try and get them on his side, but instead was met with resistance. "Blaming her for being unable to save our families is one thing, but she is not a murderer," one of the villagers insisted. "We are not going to risk our lives when you are the one who is wrong," another agreed, gaining nods from those that remained silent.

Doing his best to control his temper, Shippo called out in barely contained rage, "Leave before I make you pay for taking away my mother!" Ignoring the young demon's words for a moment, he glanced around at each of the villagers, still seeking an ally before finally realizing he would not find one there. Spitting in Shippo's direction, as he happened to be the closest demon to him, he screamed that they would regret this before taking off and disappearing in the same direction the soldiers had gone.

* * *

Entering the dank, mold infested dungeon, lead and followed down the warped stairs by a guard, Kagome paid little attention to the few occupied cells they passed. Drowning out the shouts from the other prisoners, some aimed at the guards, others at her, she allowed them to show her into her cell, turning back around with her arms raised when she heard her 'guide' instructing her to do so. The metallic catch popped free as the key was inserted into her shackles.

He released her from her unwarranted confinement, only for it to be echoed by the cell door caging her in another an instant after he shoved her deeper into the tiny room. Dusting off her hands from where they griped the damp, moss covered wall to catch her fall, Kagome turned back to glare at the guard who had man handled her. "I came here willingly and without resisting, the least you can do is be a little bit gentle," she pointed out calmly, earning herself a sneer from the guard she was speaking to.

"W do not show kindness to murderers," he spat at her, his dismissal of her earlier words of innocence obvious, before turning to head back up the stairs. Not having been finished speaking, Kagome fought the urge to insult his mother and called out for him to wait. Gesturing for his companions to continue, he paused on the bottom step and turned back sporting a look that clearly showed how much he wanted to remain down in the dungeon.

Not wanting to risk losing his attention, Kagome quickly inquired as to when she would be able to speak with his lord. "When my lord feels like it, though I would not recommend holding your breath," he mocked laughing as he turned his back on her once again and disappeared up the stairs. As she listened to his retreating footsteps, she could hear him meeting up with his companions who seemed to be waiting from him right outside the dungeon.

Rolling her umber eyes at his attitude, Kagome tested the strength of the bars before mumbling under her breath, "I wonder if Mr. Cocky-Pants knows I could get out of this cell within moments if I wished." Feeling Sesshoumaru's aura stirred a little within her, Kagome felt her confidence grow that she was in no way truly trapped there if she did not want to be and nodded to herself in satisfaction. Glancing around the small, moist cell, she found herself grateful for this fact.

Though they hadn't always camped in the best of places over the years, sometimes even having to settle for caves and bat infested caverns, this was definitely the worst place she every had to spend the night and if she was lucky it would only be for the one night. But she of course was Kagome and would only put up with being treated like a criminal for so long. The guards should have taken her to see their lord first thing to get this cleared up, but apparently they did not believe for a moment in her innocence.

"Not very bright are they?" Kagome mumbled out loud to herself as she thought about the fact that they had taken one man's word against an entire village's and it wasn't even someone they had known. It wasn't like it was their lord's word against theirs. Well hers anyways, but none of the other villagers had agreed with him and her pack had even tried to protect her. He was obviously out numbered in his misplaced blame, but the guards seemed to not care for a moment about that.

Perhaps it was not the first time they had heard of her, she had made quite a bad reputation for herself across Japan from traveling with demons and even standing up for them against humans. Maybe this lord had heard of her before and is simply using this opportunity to arrest her as he had been wanting to do for a while. Or maybe she was just not giving him enough credit and it was simply all a mistake that could be worked out in just a minute of speaking with him.

Maybe, just maybe he would be calling for her in just a moment to meet with him and she would be able to leave with an apology about how his men treated her. Though as the seconds ticked away into minutes, minutes into hours and Kagome could see the sun beginning to set from the small, barred window in the corner of her cell, she began to doubt this ending more and more. As much as she wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt, his taking to long to send for her, was making it impossible for Kagome to remain optimistic.

* * *

"I am guessing things did not go as you wished them to," Sango pointed out after she had spotted Kikyou returning on Kirara and watched the two land before the priestess dismounted and made her way over to the fire. A sour, annoyed look on her face, Kikyou shook her head as she took her seat and accepted the cup of water the slayer offered with a nod of her head. "What did the lord say?" Sango inquired as she waited for Kikyou to finish off the cup.

"Nothing, the lord of the castle would not even see me. I could not get passed the guards at the front gate. They refused to allow me to see Kagome as well, said prisoners were not allowed to have visitors. It has already been two days without word from her and I am really starting to worry," Kikyou admitted as she gently rubbed the slight bump in her belly, a gesture she had begun doing right after Kagome had been arrested, a clear sign that she was concerned.

Before Sango could say anything, Kikyou noticed Jaken was making his way over toward them, no doubt having left Kaede in charge of the villagers to come back and check on them, a habit he too developed after Kagome had left. "Jaken, Kouga is the closest demon lord around, correct?" she inquired as she gestured for him to come over to the fire and not just check on them from the treeline. After thinking for a moment, Jaken nodded and waited to hear where she was going with it.

"Can you deliver a message to him? Go and tell him what is going on. I think it would help to speed up Kagome's released since, at the very least, the humans would not want to risk angering the wolf tribe. Make sure he stops by here first and talks to us, I do not want him rushing in and doing something stupid. Knowing him, he would have his claws out ready for a fight before bothering to talk to their lord."

"Very well, I shall go retrieve Ah-Un and go now. Is there anything else you wish for me to do or get while I am away?" Jaken inquired, turning to both girls in turn and after receiving a head shake from each of them, he nodded and headed away from the village. Making his way back toward where Ah-Un was helping the villagers to transport large logs, Jaken explained to Kaede what was happening and unpacked Ah-Un's back before climbing on and quickly taking off into the sky.


	24. Chapter 23

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all of its characters are property of the brilliant Takahashi-sama and I claim no ownership of them.

* * *

AN: Congrats to Cindy and Entendre Euphenist for the correct answer of Kagome's very bad day, aka third chapter of Kagome Doll. This chapter is dedicated to you and I will get your winner banner sent out soon as I can. Round 19: "I am Arthur and this is my sword in the stone." Good luck everyone :).

Chapter 23

Kagome reclined back on the driest spot on the dirt floor of her cell as she counted the cracks in her ceiling. Having been bored with nothing else to do, it was the third time she had counted them and as she reached the last one, she realized it was also the third different total she had gotten. Knowing it didn't matter if she ever got the same answer more than once, Kagome simply shrugged her shoulders as she glanced back toward the top, right corner of her ceiling and started again.

Hearing the tell tale clinking of the guard's boots, Kagome forgot about her current project as she turned her attention to her cell door, watching as he stopped before it. Already expecting it, she wasn't surprised at all when he shoved the small, wooden tray through a slit near the floor, causing it to topple over and spill her food onto the dirt floor. Ignoring the obviously intentional act, Kagome rose to her feet and made her way toward the door, smiling as sweetly as she could.

Reaching up to grab onto the bars, she thrust her right hip out slightly and added a little pout to her lips, making herself look rather weak and cute. Just the look she had been going for, not that it ever had much effect on the guards. "I have been very patient and very cooperative," she began, emphasizing the words she needed to. "But if your lord does not see me by dusk tomorrow, I am leaving. I have to be getting home, I have a village to help rebuild and a family to take care of."

"And just how do you plan on getting out of your cell? Those bars are strong enough to hold many men ten times as strong as you. And while you are much smaller than are normal prisoners, you are still too big to fit through them or the window. Unless of course, you plan on having one of your demon friends come bust you out, but I would not recommend it, we have an entire army here," he pointed out with a smirk, unconcerned by her words.

Still smiling, Kagome explained, "I am the Shikon no Miko and I am mated to a very powerful demon lord. I assure you, you do not wish to learn how I can get out of here, it would not be pretty." Unsurprisingly his response was to spit at her and call her a vile demon whore before walking away from her cell. Rolling her eyes, Kagome called after him, "I said I am a demon's mate, not whore. You're an idiot if you do not know the difference!"

Though he ignored her words, the prisoner in the cell next to her did not and inquired as to whether or not she really thought she could get out of the cell by herself. With a shrug, Kagome turned toward him and explained, "I have to. If my mate finds out that I am here and being treated like I am, I would not be able to stop him from slaughtering everything." She paused for a moment to laugh before continuing, "He's very possessive."

* * *

The rain had started sometime during the night and cold, wet and highly annoyed, the villagers seemed to be content with going as slow as humanly possible. It wasn't as though the members of the pack were asking them to do something they weren't willing to, in fact all of them, including those that were pregnant or young, were doing their share without complaining. Now, as it was getting close to lunch time, their aggravation only seemed to grow, slowing their work further.

Having had enough and just about to threaten them into moving faster, Kikyou was saved by the arrival of a large cloud of dust, followed closely behind by two smaller ones. Already knowing who it was, Kikyou and Sango dusted off their hands and headed over to greet their guests, ignoring the expected gasps coming from behind them. "Thank you for coming so quickly," Kikyou began, adhering to the rules of proper edict.

Sango smirked unseen at Kikyou, knowing Kouga would not be so inclined as to follow the priestess's example, before interrupting. "Alright Kouga, long story short this village was recently hit with an illness for which we have no cure. Kagome-chan was able to do little more than help ease the pain of those that were infected before they died. One of the healthy did not take what happened well, as to be expected, however, he blamed their deaths on her.

"And had her arrested as a murderer. That was three days ago and Kikyou has already visited the village they took her to, but was denied access. We are worried about her, but it seems there is very little we can do without causing their army to come down on us and, by association, this village. We were hoping you would wouldn't mind paying them a visit and perhaps suggesting holding Kagome any longer would make an enemy where they really don't want one.

"I don't want you to attack them, since rude or not, they are just doing their jobs, but Kagome should not have to deal with this on top of everything else she's gone through in the last few weeks."

"That was the short version?" Kouga joked before beginning to process the information she had just given him. "I will go stop by and bring her home. I'll leave my pack mates here to help with the rebuilding," Kouga began as he gestured toward the still unfinished huts before continuing, "They'll only slow me down anyways. I shall be back within two days." Turning toward Ayame he bid her farewell with a fiery kiss before nodding to the other two members of his tribe present and disappeared in a whirl of dust.

Able to effortlessly pick up the mumbled complaints about the ever increasing number of demons from the villagers, Ayame decided to do what she thought was best and ignored them. Glancing around, she quickly spotted a large pile of timber and grabbed an armful, or roughly what would have taken ten human males to lift, and turned toward Sango. "Where do you want these?" Smiling, Sango gestured for her to follow and began showing her the way.

Not hearing the movement behind her that she was expecting, Ayame called over her non wood burdened shoulder, "Get to work boys!" Confused and not really sure what they were supposed to do, Ginta and Hakkaku turned and shrugged at each other before turning to Kikyou for help. Seeing the desperation in their eyes, the priestess decided to take pity on them and with a smile, began leading them over to a hut that could use some extra help.

* * *

As Kagome opened her eyes in her dream sequence, the first thing she saw was Sesshoumaru's bare chest pressed up against her. Smiling softly to herself, she pushed closer to his warmth as she wrapped an arm around his waist. "I am sorry I could not meet you sooner, I had been following his trail for days and did not want to risk losing track of him. Not that it did any good, he still managed to somehow cover his scent this morning.

"But it will not be long before I catch him, he is weakening and he shall soon make a mistake," Sesshoumaru assured her as he mirrored Kagome's actions before burying his nose in her hair. Taking in her scent, Sesshoumaru quickly noticed smells he was not used to being on his mate. "Kagome, are you not still near the village? What has pulled you so far from home?"

"Hmm?" she replied, more interested in his husky scent and the feel of his arms around her than his words. The second time he inquired, she caught his questions. "Oh there was a slight misunderstanding, but don't worry. I will be heading back home not long after I wake up," Kagome assured him as she smiled into his chest and sensing no lies from her, Sesshoumaru let the matter drop for now, filing away a reminder to ask her about it again later.

"I wish I had more time with you today, but I can feel myself beginning to awake. Before my time is up, can you tell me how Miroku and Inuyasha are doing?" she inquired quickly, knowing as she felt the guard drawing closer to her physical form, that she was almost out of time.

"They are fine and unharmed. Most of his army have already returned home. Those that remain are simply there to spar. They wanted to return, but we worry he would follow them back to our pack. Stay safe mate, it will not be long until we see each other again," Sesshoumaru promised as he tilted her chin up until their lips met in a slow, but passionate kiss. Before they had separated, Kagome felt herself be pulled completely back into the real world.

* * *

Hearing the clinking of the guard's boots as he made his way away from her cell, having tossed the tray carrying her meal into the small room, Kagome returned to consciousness, stretching the kink out of her neck from sleeping on the hard ground. Turning toward the tiny, barred window on the wall behind her, she watched as the sun began to set on the horizon, darkening the sky with every passing moment. "Time's up," she commented to no one in particular as she rose to her feet and dusted off her hands.

Making her way to her cell door, Kagome cracked her knuckles, scrunching her fingers into fists before expanding them three times and shook them to loosen them for what was to come. Nodding silently to herself, the caged priestess began to draw forth the power of her mate into her hands, allowing his aura to rise to the surface, watching her upturned hands glowed pink, bleeding into the green of poison. Scrunching up her nose at the smell, Kagome turned her hands on the door and grasped the first set of bars.

"I never did like the smell of this stuff," she complained and as the power flowed from her palms, the poison ate its way up and down the bars, causing them to disintegrate beneath her touch. Moving to the next set, she repeated the process until those too had disappeared and grabbed the final rod barring her way with both hands, destroying it with her touch. No longer contained within her cell, Kagome carefully stepped out of the hole she had created and began making her way toward the stairs, ignoring the prisoner behind her calling for her to release him as well.

As she began to make her way up the stairs, hoping that finding where the lord was would not be difficult, Kagome kept her ears out for any guards coming her way. Arriving at the top of the stairs, she soon learned that there were two on the other side, guarding the entrance to the dungeon, as she hit them with the door upon opening it. Seeing them both reaching for their swords, Kagome called forth her holy power as she shot her arm up, hoping to manage to get a barrier up in time to block their attacks.

Instead, she found a small, weak blast of power flying from her fingers and knocking one of the guards backwards and into the far wall. Confused, she glanced down at her hand that continued to glow before turning toward the guard to make sure he wasn't hurt. Finding him unconscious, though otherwise unharmed, she turned back toward his partner just as his sword began to arc down toward her. Again unpremeditated, a small blast of power flowed from her hand and he soon landed next to the other guard.

"Interesting what happens when you mix a tiny amount of demon power with mine. I finally have an offensive power that doesn't require a bow," Kagome mumbled to herself happily as she took a step toward where she could hear more guards coming, figuring they were probably coming from where the lord was, only to find herself becoming dizzy and having to grab the wall to stop herself from losing her balance. "I get it, don't use it too much."

Taking in a deep breath, Kagome closed her eyes as she waited for the dizziness to pass before opening them to find a small group of guards rushing down the hallway toward her with their swords raised. Nodding slightly to herself, heralding her readiness for battle, Kagome shot off five consecutive blasts, hitting each guard in the chest and throwing them out of her path. Not wanting to waste any time, in case she could not use the power for much longer, she began to rush down the hall the way they had come.

Each corridor she passed brought her more groups of guards, thankfully in small numbers, and soon enough they joined their comrades in their impromptu naps. With each blast, she could feel her energy waning further and breathed a sigh of relief when she came upon a room highly guarded, shouted orders from behind the closed doors easily overheard. Rolling her neck, Kagome bounced up and down for a moment, as she loosened her muscles and prepared herself for her next move.

Sure she was as ready as she was going to get, Kagome rounded the corner and sent an orb of power from each of her hands, blasting the two guards back through the door, exposing the contents of the room to her umber eyes. Not wanting to risk the chance of being able to use his aura anymore, as she could feel herself already becoming drained, Kagome opted instead to create a barrier around herself, protecting her from the guards that charged toward her.

Instantly spotting the lord, Kagome turned her attention toward him as she ignored everything else in the room. "I came here willingly to set the record against me straight. Yet I am treated like trash and you seem to be refusing to speak with me. It ends now. If you actually want to know the truth, what happened was the village was infected with the Black Plague, you may know it as the black death. I was unable to save those that were infected, but thankfully I caught it before it was too late to save the entire village.

"I sent the healthy to my village and spent the next two weeks caring for the ill, burning the dead and burying their ashes by myself because I would not endanger anyone else to give myself some help," she explained and hearing a snort coming from the left, Kagome turned to the villager, that had started this whole thing, to find him glaring at her darkly. "You know, I never wanted to have to do this, but you have left me no choice," she insisted, ignoring the swords that pelting against her barrier as the guards continued to try and attack her.

"From this moment forward, you are hereby banned from reentering the village. You put all of their lives in danger simply because you can not deal with your own grief. You best pray my mate never learns what you have done, for even I may not be able to stop him when his instincts to protect his pack are in control." Having said all she wished to, to his, Kagome turned back to the lord before continuing, "The bounty on my head is to be removed. You and your army better stay clear of the villages.

"No one around here, save for him, would stand with you against the Shikon no Miko and the group that defeated Naraku. That very same priestess, happens to be standing before you, treated like garbage even though I know for a fact this is not the first time I have been to your town. So soon you forget, but it was only a few years ago that my pack and I saved this town from one of Naraku's incarnations. I may not be perfect, but I sure as hell have never done anything to deserve being treated like this."

Using the last bit of energy she could spare without passing out, Kagome blasted the guards away from her as she turned and began making her way toward the door. Before she could take more then a few steps, a large cloud of dust sped into the room, Kouga's voice demanding her release even before his form was visible. Noticing Kagome standing there, Kouga demanded, "What's going on, Kagome? What happened to the guards?"

Instead of answering, deciding she could feel them in after they had gotten out of there, Kagome simply smiled as she started making her way toward the door once again. Behind her, she could hear the lord inquiring about whether or not Kouga was her mate and fought the urge to laugh. Glancing over her shoulder, Kagome smile as she explained, "No, he is just one of my many allies. My mate is much more terrifying. Let's go, Kouga."


	25. Chapter 24

AN: Continuing with the previous round since no one guessed correctly. Round 19: "I am Arthur and this is my sword in the stone." Good luck everyone :). By the way, this will be the last one :).

I apologize for my long absence and for the shortish chapter. Trying to do too much as once lol.

Chapter 24

"Kagome-chan," Sango whispered softly at first, almost as if she believed the woman she saw cresting over the hill to be a mirage, before realizing she was indeed seeing her best friend coming home. "Kagome-chan!" she shouted, drawing everyone's attention as she rushed toward the incoming girl, as though it had been years, not days, since she had last seen her. "I see Kouga was able to bring you back quickly," she continued, gesturing to the wolf demon that stood next to them as she hugged the priestess as best she could with the slight bump in her stomach getting in her way.

"I didn't do nothing. She was already on her way out when I got there," Kouga explained with a shrug of his shoulders before heading off in search of his pack mates. Confused, since if she didn't need his help to get out, logic was that she could have returned sooner, Sango turned her attention back to the girl in her arms in question as Kikyou arrived next to them. Not quite into public displays as Sango was, instead of greeting the younger priestess with a hug, Kikyou bowed her head in respect.

"If it was not the wolf prince that aided in your return, how did you get released? I went to speak about you to the lord, but they refused to allow me to see you, let alone set you free. I was sure it would take a demon lord to scare them into letting you go," Kikyou insisted as Sango finally released her tight embrace and stepped back, wanting to hear the answer as well. Gesturing for them to follow her, not wanting to have the conversation in the open, Kagome led the way into the forest.

Once she was sure they were out of earshot from any of the villagers, she stopped and turned back toward the girls, who followed her unquestioningly. "Basically what happened was I was put into a cell and left there alone, other than when they came to feed me, and the lord refused to see me. I informed a guard that they had until today to see me or I was leaving. When they still refused me, I tapped into Sesshoumaru's aura and melted my cell bars.

"I was just informing the lord that they were to stay away from the village and myself, when Kouga showed up. By the way, the villager that caused this, I've already informed him that he is banned from here. I will tell the others myself, so you guys don't get put in the middle, but wanted to let you know since there might be a backlash. I don't think there will be, I can't image the others siding with him after this, but I won't take any chances. Speaking of though," Kagome paused to glance back in the direction of the village.

"I should probably get that done soon. Why don't you two start dinner back home and I will round up the villagers and update them before we head back," Kagome decided, giving them a reassuring smile when they looked worried for her, before turning and heading back toward the village. Not having gone far, it didn't take her long to return and call out, "Can everyone gather around for a moment? There is something I need to inform you about."

As she stood off to the edge of the village, just before the tree line, Kagome watched as they began to gather around her as instructed, each sharing confused glances. "The man who caused the disturbance the other day has been banned from returning to the village. And please do not give me those looks," she paused as they began to develop expressions of hate and anger. "I did not do it because he royally pissed me off or because I didn't like him.

"By doing what he did, he endangered this entire village. I can forgive just about everything, but not needlessly endangering the lives of innocent people. I will not forgive someone trying to bring the wrath of a very temperamental demon lord, when it comes to his pack at least, down on this village because he could not handle his own grieve and stupidity." Kagome paused for a moment to let her words sink in and a villager took the opportunity to question whether or not she was doing the same by having demons nearby.

"No, the demons nearby do not endanger the village, they protect it. Can any of you even remember the last time there was a demon attack? Their presence here deters many of the lesser demons, those that it doesn't are detected long before they can reach your homes. All of you are safe as long as you don't intentionally endanger our safety. Which is something I highly doubt any of you would do. But we do not bring harm to this village, we prevent. Demons and all.

"I know you are all upset over what's been happening, and what still is, but there is something you need to remember above all else. Even if you want to forget about every time a member of my group has saved you, protected each of you from demons, saved the lives of all of you...At the very least, you should remember what has just happened. It was not demons that brought the plague down on your village, it was rats. Plan ole simple rats.

"But I am the only reason why all of you are still alive, because I was here to see it in time to save you. If those demons were not here, neither would I be. The black plague is very contagious and it would have spread to every villager and anyone who passed through here would have been infected. Then they would have passed it to every village they came to. As I am sure you can imagine, it would not take long to have spread across Japan.

"It is incurable and a painful, horrifying way to die. Probably the worse way to die I have ever seen and I have seen people die from things you couldn't even imagine. My point?" she paused for a moment to regain control of herself, noticing the conversation had verged off where she originally wanted to take it. "Instead of complaining about the demons hanging around, the very same ones helping to rebuild your village, for now, at the very least, just consider yourselves lucky. Think of every passing day as a blessing because it could of just as easily have been your last."

Kagome knew she might have been a bit too harsh on them and, as uncharacteristic of her as it might have been, she couldn't find the will to care. She had suffered through a lot over the years from them and many others like them. The distrustful looks they gave her because of the way she dressed or who she kept company. The whispering each time she passed, them thinking she couldn't pick up on the spat words of 'impure' and 'demon lover'.

The attitude they gave her best friend for the same differences she loved about him. The way they counted an innocent child in their hatred simply because of his blood. So yeah, maybe she was being rude, but she was just so tired of it all. Being treated like she was less of a person because she saw nothing wrong with being friends, taking care of or even falling in love with demons. She was done being seen as the abnormal one, especially since they were the ones that were wrong.

Being called a murderer had been the last straw, the one that broke the camel's back. She would no longer walk on eggshells to not offend others because they were already on edge around her. And she sure as hell wasn't going to be miss sweet and proper to the villagers who still had yet to thank her for saving their lives. For being there to help ease their families' passing when they couldn't be there. For burning and burying their bodies.

They were ungrateful and, finally, after all the years she had been in the past, Kagome understood they would never change, no matter how much she tried or what she did. So she wasn't going to try anymore, not on these villagers anyways. She couldn't very well place all villages into the same category simply because of one bad apple. If she did, she would be no better than those that were foolish enough to believe all demons were evil simply because a few attack.

She would be no better than the villagers standing before her, grumbling under their breaths about her rudeness. Holding her head up high, Kagome ignored their whispering and called out that it was time to head back for dinner. Turning away, without waiting to see if they would follow, she began heading home, anxious to have her first real meal in days. As she walked, Kagome sighed softly to herself, knowing without a doubt, that they would not be able to live near the well for much longer. One day, it would put either the villagers or her family in danger.


	26. Chapter 25

AN: This chapter is dedicated to InuLover for the correct answer of Rewriting History. I could have sworn there was one on , but can't seem to find it. So if I missed you, please let me know :). This was the last one as I have no more quotes.

And I apologize for the long delay, real life kinda caught up with me. Hopefully these two chapters will make up for the long wait :).

* * *

Chapter 25

Kagome barely paid any attention to the wooden nails that were hammered into place or the calls for more lumber. As she sat there, staring off into space from just on the village's side of the treeline, she gently traced the blisters that covered her hands with her index finger. At last count, her blisters had blisters, but the skin had already deadened enough that there was no longer any pain, though they would no doubt leave scars.

Not that it really mattered to Kagome one way or another. A few scars on her hands would simply show that she had done her part, carried her own weight. In fact, she would still be working even with the sores, had Kikyou not forbidden it. She was worried that breaking the blisters and continuing to work would cause them to become infected. Which would in turn keep her out of action longer than simply sitting around for a few days to give them time to heal a bit.

But they were so close to finishing the village that Kagome could almost taste it. She wanted so much to be done with the rebuilding so people could get back to their lives. Both for the villagers and her pack. The tensions were running high, patience was non existent and it was only a matter of time before somebody snapped. And with the way things were going, it would be her. Day in and day out, week after week, they had been slaving away to help get the villagers back on their feet.

And their reward? Their thanks for a job well done? The villagers had stopped insulting the demons, paused in their attempts to burn holes in her back and weren't even giving Jaken dirty looks anymore. All of which would be considered great things, if it wasn't for the reason they changed their habits. Well it wasn't so much that they actually changed, only their focus did. They had been so busy with their own lives and everything that was happening, that it had taken them until just recently to realize two members of the pack were pregnant.

Now Sango didn't really have any problem, other than the occasional whisper about the kind of environment she would be raising her child in, but Kikyou was another matter all together. Her mating to Inuyasha wasn't exactly something that they had broadcast, simply because it was none of their business, but when the first villager to notice asked, she answered that he was the father. Apparently to them, the only thing worse than a half-demon, was a human would was willing to mate with them.

With the way things were going, Kagome could tell that it wouldn't be long before the villagers crossed a line that couldn't be uncrossed. Their time living beside the well was quickly coming to an end and she knew that there was nothing she could do to stop it. Her only option was to prolong it long enough for the girls to give birth. The last thing they needed was to try and move in their second trimester. With that goal in mind, Kagome decided to plan for an event she knew would buy her the most time.

Celebrating the completion of the village with a festival would hopefully buy her enough goodwill with the villagers to keep them content until after their due dates, but postponing the war until then would be a tougher challenge. One she wasn't sure she could meet. Seeing Kikyou approaching her, her pace slowed by her protruding belly, Kagome carefully wiped the worry from her face and turned to her pack sister with a smile.

"Let me see your hands," Kikyou prompted, noticing the other girl had unconsciously hid them. Once she had done as instructed, the elder priestess gave them both a once over before turning her attention back to their owner. "What has caused the sorrowful look in your eyes, Kagome?" she inquired after a moment, easily spotting the concern even with her attempts to hide it. "Do not bother denying what I see, I know you better than that, Kagome."

"Kikyou, you are heavily pregnant, having to deal with your mate being absent and doing my job because I am currently out of commission. I can do very little for you right now, let me do this. Let me deal with the worry I have alone. I assure you when all is said and done, you will be filled in. But you have enough on your plate right now for me to add more," Kagome insisted as she leaned over and rested her head against Kikyou's shoulder.

The closeness brought her a bit of comfort, reminding her of the many times she had done so with Inuyasha, and Kagome allowed her eyes to slid close, shutting out her concerns if only for a little while. "And carrying a small amount of your burden is the very little I can do for you, Kagome. I am sure whatever you are worried about has already crossed my mind and you would be doing me no harm in speaking to me of it. However, it might do you some good."

"Were you always this wise?" Kagome inquired, half-jokingly as she grasped one of Kikyou's hands, ignoring the slight pain the motion caused her own, before sighing and opening her eyes to stare off into the distance. "We have to leave, soon in fact. I hope to push it back until after you two have given birth, but I am not sure the villagers will hold off that long. I see the way they look at you, and mention this only because I know you have noticed as well, and it kills me.

"After everything, this is how they repay our kindness? Why do we even bother to continue helping? I try to convince myself that it is the right thing to do, that by continuing it proves that we are better than them. That we are the 'bigger man', or woman in this case. But I am no longer sure that I even want to be. I risked everything, I gave everything, all that I had and then some. Week after week we have slaved away to rebuild homes that we will never step foot in. We have lost sleep, shared everything we had.

"We've hunted for them, traded for them, built, borrowed and begged for them. Our lives have been put on hold for the villagers and this is our thanks? The whispered insults were bad enough, but I tolerated them. But now? Do not think I did not catch what that villager did earlier. I know you played it off as though it was your fault, but I watched her. She did it on purpose. She tried to knock over a pregnant woman simply because she does not agree with her choice of fathers.

"Words can hurt us, Kikyou, but it is never permanent. Their insults sting us, but we can move on. Forgive them for being too scared to see passed the surface. But if their fear causes them to hurt one of us physically, how can I forgive them then? They are attacking members of my pack, Kikyou, my family, my children. What kind of alpha am I when I put the needs of outsiders above those of my pack? I felt so guilty over what I stood by and watched happen, that I've allowed things to come this far.

"It was not my fault and I could have done nothing else, but the knowledge has not allowed me to walk away. I want to, more than anything, but I know the moment I do I will regret it. I regret staying and I will regret leaving. I have no where left to turn. I need him, his wisdom, his guidance, but I can have none of it. And I can not place this burden on the shoulders of anyone else. If I did, I truly would not be fit to be alpha.

"But it will not matter soon, I can only stand to give them one last chance. It will not be long before the village is complete. Once it is, we shall have a festival to celebrating. Hopefully that will buy us enough time to make it to the end of the pregnancies before things get out of hand. I do not wish to move you this late. But if my plan fails, there will be no other choice. We will have to leave our homes much sooner than I had planned. Tell Sango and Jaken to begin gathering supplies for ourselves. I have a feeling we will be needing them rather soon."

* * *

Much too slowly for Kagome, the days passed by as they bled into weeks before the day she had been praying for finally arrived. The last hut was built. The last nail had been hammered in. The last blanket had been placed near the hearth. Kagome sighed in relief as she stepped back to take in everything they had accomplished; seeing the village complete for the first time in months. Satisfied that she had done everything she could have to make up for all that had passed between them, Kagome found that she was content; her conscious clear.

Having had already known that they would be finishing today, and having set up things ahead of time, Kagome nodded to the two that were awaiting her signal and watched as Kouga and Ayame began leading her friends and family into the center of the village with the supplies they had gathered for the festival. There were the three deer that had been slowly roasting since the day before, that would now be put over another fire to keep warm.

There was a giant pot of rice that had been cooking since that morning; one of the things they had bartered for. Whatever fruit and vegetables they could still get their hands on, which wasn't much considering the time of the year. More rice wine than her entire pack could drink in her lifetime that would result in one or two things; it would keep the villagers happy or they would turn out to be mean drunks.

Either way, Kagome was hoping it would cause them to pass out and sleep through the night, giving her family a much needed break from them. With the demons working at full speed, it was not long before everything was set up and the villagers began to celebrate the completion of the village; already ignoring the demons that made all of this possible. With a heavy sigh, Kagome decided it was probably better anyways; if they were ignoring them, they weren't insulting them.

The small groups who were talking amongst themselves were interrupted as soft music began to play; the band having been asked to do so by Kaede. Kagome smiled for the first time in a long time as her head began to sway to the music until she felt a tap on her shoulder and glanced over to find Kouga standing behind her with a large grin adorning his handsome face. "Care to have a dance with me?" he inquired, his clawed hand already raised to take hers.

Kagome laughed at his unusual politeness before nodding and accepting his hand, joining him in a slow and somewhat awkward dance. As the music began to blend into the background, neither of them really paying much attention to it, Kagome barely caught his whispered words, "Thank you." Confused, as she could not remember doing anything for him lately that may have warranted a thanks, she simply glanced at him in question.

"For not being my woman," he replied, his patent smirk adorning his face as he glanced over to where Ayame was sitting and talking with Sango and Kikyou. "If you had given me what I always thought I wanted, I would never have what I do now. What I am blessed with now," he insisted, a soft, tender look in his eyes before he turned that back to Kagome with a smile. As she returned it, Kagome hugged him close for a moment.

"You are very welcome, Kouga, just promise me that you will always be happy," she insisted, laughing softly at his response of how that would not be a problem. Before she could say another word, Kagome felt herself being tapped on the shoulder once more and turned back to find Ayame standing there with a smile; apparently having ended her conversation with the others while they had been talking.

"I would like my mate now," she explained, her tone half-joking and with a quick bow, Kagome released him and stepped back before making her way to where her pack sisters were waiting for her. "Are you two having fun yet?" she inquired softly as she took her place beside them, not missing the fact that the villagers were giving the two women plenty of space, but deciding to not let it ruin their evening.

Before either of them could respond, Jaken had made his way over and placed a plate covered in heaping mounds of food into Kagome's hands without bothering to ask if she was even hungry. "Thank you, Jaken, this looks...," she began, only to be interrupted by a loud squawk as he noticed Rin and Souta were dancing, apparently too close for his liking and began running off toward them. Glancing back at the girls, who answered with shrugs before the three of them starting laughing.


	27. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

The rest of the night had gone off without a hitch, the villagers ended up passed out from drinking too much rice wine and were not in any position to cause problems; much to Kagome's relief. They had returned home hours ago, staying up late into the night talking about how they could finally begin to relax now that everything had passed; once the kids were tucked in and quickly falling asleep. They had spoken of what the next stage in the Pack's life would be; moving away.

They understood why they had to, just as she knew the children would, but it was not hard to see the disappointment in their eyes; the same disappointment she felt inside. This was their home, their shelter from the big bad world, it was where their journey together started and when it ended. Many memories were made here; some good and some bad. And even though it was closed and she could no longer use it, Kagome's only connection to where she was born, was here.

And now they had to give it all up and walk away as though they were the ones that had done something wrong; when in fact no one had. Not even the villagers really, it wasn't their fault that humans tended to be stupid and prejudice against those that were different and she knew it wasn't going to change much in the next 500 years. Not that she would still be around to see it anyways. All that mattered, all that could matter, was her family.

Their happiness, their safety and sense of being welcome where they were was all that mattered to Kagome. Even if it meant giving up the only last connection she had when the time she was born in, it would be worth it for her family to feel at ease; to feel like they belonged. She more than anyone else knew what it was like to feel out of place, just as she had when she first arrived in this time and truthfully, for a long time after.

But it was them that made her feel at home and no matter where they were or how many times they had to move, she would make certain that she returned the favor. Where ever she was, they would always have a home; a place they were wanted. No matter how other humans, or even demons for that matter treated them, she would ensure they never felt like they were less than what they were simply because of who or what they are, or who they called family.

As Kagome sat there staring into the dying fire, hours after the other adults had gone to bed, she couldn't help but feel a slight peace settling in her mind. Even if it was not what she would have wanted, would have ever thought about doing if the situation was different, knowing what she needed to do and setting in motion the steps to get them there, was a load off of her mind; it gave her peace of mind. When the guys returned, she wouldn't weight them down with things needing to be fixed, but greet them with a solution all ready to go.

Stretching her arms above her head, her knuckles cracking from disuse, Kagome stood and was about to begin making her way toward her hut to try and get some sleep before the fast approaching dawn arrived, when she felt an approaching demon's aura. Startled by such a strong aura coming this far out, as she knew it was not a member of her pack and Kouga and his had already returned home earlier that night, Kagome quickly spread out her senses in search of the direction it was coming from.

It was not long before she had pinpointed it, the incoming aura impossible not to locate from the sheer strength of it alone. Kagome swallowed a lump in her throat as her frightened eyes darted around, waiting for the demon to emerge, already knowing that if it turned out to be a foe-which it's anger radiating off of its aura suggested-that she was in trouble. An aura that strong and imposing could only belong to another daiyoukai like her mate.

As the aura got closer, his anger and hatred even more prominent as he could do doubt smell the humans now, Kagome instantly knew who was fast approaching their village. There was only one demon she could think of that would have reason, legitimate or not, to hate them that much. And as the giant, dull red colored fox, fur specked with gray, appeared before her, Kagome was not startled by his appearance and managed to keep herself calm as he bared down on her.

Preparing herself for his attack, as much as she could anyways, Kagome was surprised when he stopped just short of ramming into her and leaped over her head, transforming into his more humanoid form as he did. By the time she had the chance to turn around to face him once more, the majestic red fox had turned into an elderly man, his back bent with age, his hair long since faded to gray. As Kagome began to wonder just how old the slow aging demon had to be in order to look as elderly as he did, the demon growled at her.

"Hand over my grandson, pathetic human or I shall slaughter this entire village," he threatened, his hard, cold voice not betraying his age and in fact, had Kagome not seen him before hearing his voice, she would have sworn he was as young as Sesshoumaru. Instead of answering him right away, Kagome glanced around discreetly to see if his voice had woken up the others, unfortunately it had not as even the demons still seemed to be asleep.

"You will only get one warning sir, I highly suggest you take this time to leave," Kagome replied, giving him her own warning before following through with her plan before waiting for him to answer, not that she was expecting one anyways. Not wanting to risk the others being asleep and unable to defend themselves in case something went wrong, Kagome pushed her powers out as a wave of pink light emanating all around her; knowing it would not hurt any of her pack, but would alert any demon or human that could sense holy power to the threat.

The effect was almost instant as she could hear Daichi and Shippo already beginning to howl within the hut, alerting any that may have slept through her warning to the potential danger. Though her eyes never left the elder's form, making sure to keep a close watch should he try any sneaky tactics, Kagome could sense the moment her entire pack emerged from their huts; those that could fight already clothed in battle armor with weapons drawn.

"Protect our children," Kagome instructed and without her having to glance back at them, they all knew who she was talking to and the adults began to surround the children, blocking them from any attack he might send. Though it was hung over her shoulder, as she had gotten used to carrying it even within their own village, Kagome made no move to ready her bow; knowing it would not do her much good in close combat.

The robust laughter that came from the demon before her was both startling and foreign sounding coming from him. Kagome could not imagine that he even knew how to laugh and while he was in fact making fun of her, it was genuine and the sound coming from such an unlikely source almost made her want to laugh as well. "Are you truly fool enough to think that you, a pathetic human child, could have any hopes of defeating me?

"All of you together still would not equal my strength and yet you put your finer warriors out of battle. Do you have a death wish, girl?" he demanded, his tone far more insulting than even Sesshoumaru's had been the first time they met. Instead of responding right away, Kagome discreetly glanced over her shoulder to make sure the others were safe before turning her full attention back to the demon in front of her.

"I may be a lot of things, sir, but I am no fool. I did not for a single moment believe that I would be able to beat you myself. The truth is, I have no intention of even attempting to do so, with or without help. You have simply misunderstood," she paused for a moment as a bright smile spread across the whole of her face, confusing the demon further.

"You see, I was simply stalling for time and the time is now up," she told him smirking as she stepped aside as a blur came zooming passed her, manifesting into Sesshoumaru's humanoid form once he had stopped; allowing their eyesight to catch up to him. "He's all yours, Sesshoumaru-sama," Kagome informed him with a slight bow as she began moving back toward where the others were standing, finally unshouldering her bow in case she needed it.

"No more hiding, Yukio, this trumped up war of yours ends now," Sesshoumaru predicted as he drew his sword and began charging toward his opponent. Unsheathing his own, its blade glistening from the poison it was coated in, the fox demon charged forward as well, his arm already swinging and trying to get in the first hit. Effortlessly, Sesshoumaru managed to dodge the attack only to realize that as he began to get into a rhythm, his opponent seemed to be studying his actions and learning his moves at an alarmingly fast rate.

Reminding himself, that while the fox demons were not usually known for fighting and would not make much of an opponent for him, this particular demon was older than his father and had centuries longer to hone his fighting skills. Sesshoumaru would be sure not to make the same mistake a lesser demon might; he would not underestimate his opponent based on assumptions.

As Kagome watched the battle before her, she couldn't help but notice that while Sesshoumaru seemed to be stronger and would no doubt win in the end, his opponent was fast and possibly even more skilled with a sword than he was. But she knew it would do him little good in the end and not just because she had faith in her mate, but also because she could already see him begin to slow down slightly; his age seemingly catching up to him.

The clashing of their swords echoed around their little village, each time they met mid-air was like the booming thunder was right above them. Swing. Block. Boom. The mantra repeated itself over and over again within Kagome's mind as the words were acted out before her. Swing. Block. Boom. And then the first blood was drawn; Sesshoumaru's blood.

Though inside her mind was screaming, she kept her thoughts and worries silent as she made sure to block what was happening from the children behind her. Assuring herself that it was just a scratch, Kagome turned her attention away from the few drops of blood that were staining his white sleeve, and focused back on the battle before her even as Yukio seemed to be gaining the upper hand.

Though Sesshoumaru had to take the defensive, something he rarely if ever had to do, Kagome was not worried about the outcome. Sesshoumaru would be victorious not only because of his strength and the kind of man he was, refusing to be beaten by anyone, but also because he had far too much riding on this fight. His son was at stake and do doubt the rest of their lives if Yukio managed to kill him. But Kagome wasn't worried, her mate would never allow that to happen.

* * *

The battle had ended almost a full minute ago and still everyone remained silent, watching as the victor stared down at the lifeless body at his feet. No one dared to make a sound as the victor's eyes still glowed an eerie red, warning everyone else around not to go near him. Everyone accept one girl who had never done as common sense had told her, but instead always followed her heart.

"Sesshoumaru," Kagome called out softly as she placed her hand gently on his shoulder and though he turned to growl at her, his eyes now aflame, she never once flinched; knowing his anger was not directed toward her. "It is over, Sesshoumaru, you have won," she informed him, watching as the red began to recede from his eyes as he managed to calm down bit by bit.

"Are you alright now?" she inquired softly, making sure the others could not hear her as she was sure Sesshoumaru would not wish them to know he was not completely in control of himself. Seeing him nod in response, even though his eyes were still tainted red, Kagome gave him a reassuring smile before standing up straight. "I believe it is time you bring our pack home.

"Go now and finish up whatever you have left to do and then come home, Sesshoumaru. You have all been greatly missed," Kagome told him, knowing that the him of right now was not ready to be around his pack and would need some time to regain control of himself. Understanding what she was doing for him, Sesshoumaru gave her a ghost of a smile before nodding his head and disappearing off into the forest carrying the body of Yukio with him.

Squaring her shoulders and taking a deep breath to calm herself, Kagome turned back toward the others as she plastered a large smile on her face. "Well I don't know about you guys, but I will not be able to get back to sleep after all the excitement. What do you say we start breakfast a little early?" she questioned the children, who readily agreed. "Very well, you guys go play with Jaken and we'll get it started."

Their cheers were instantaneous and unanimous, effortlessly drowning out Jaken's grumbles about them being too hyper way too early. Giving him a sympathetic look, Kagome turned her attention away from the children and toward the other adults. "We should keep ourselves busy as well or waiting for their return will feel like it is taking forever," Kagome warned and after receiving nods from both of her pack sisters, the three of them went to work preparing breakfast.

"Do you think he noticed?" Sango inquired after a few moments of silence had passed, causing the other two to look at her in confusion. Instead of answering, she merely gestured toward her enlarging belly and laughed. As they joined in, Kagome shook her head in answer to Sango's question, drawing both hers and Kikyou's attention to herself.

"I doubt it. Sesshoumaru was too focused on what was going on. I highly doubt he even gave himself the chance to notice anything else. I'm sure they will be completely surprised when they get home," Kagome assured them and seeing their relieved expressions, she couldn't help but smile. Turning her attention back to breakfast, Kagome lost herself in the dancing flames. It would not be long before her pack was whole once more.


	28. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Darkness had long since settled over their little village, dinner having ended hours ago, but still the children refused to go to bed. They each wanted to wait up for the others to return, but Kagome could see them fighting to keep their eyes open, struggling to remain awake. She couldn't help but smile to herself, as she too was getting tired but wanting to be awake when they came home. She was just beginning to fear they wouldn't be back until the next day and deciding the children should go to bed, when she felt an unmistakable presence coming closer.

Smirking secretly to herself, Kagome glanced in the direction she could feel the presence coming from before looking at each of her pack members in turn to discover other than herself, Jaken seemed to be the only other one to notice their incoming. Deciding to have a little fun, she motioned for him to keep quiet before calling out to the children, "Alright, five minutes and then it is bedtime." Instantly they began to whine about how they wanted to wait up longer, but Kagome shook her head sternly.

"Five minutes is more than plenty of time to welcome them home," she continued only to be met by confused expressions from the children. In answer, she gestured over her shoulder to where they could now be seen emerging from the forest that surrounded their village. All at once the children cheered as they rushed over to them; the two pregnant woman following after at a much slower pace. It did not take long for the smiles on Inuyasha and Miroku's faces to turn to looks of shock and confusion.

And even less time to transform into cheers of joy and grinning faces when their minds caught up to what they were seeing. As the fathers-to-be were greeted by their wives, each receiving a long, passionate kiss before being smacked on the arm with accompanying complaints of them taking too long, most of the children surrounded the demon lord and began asking an endless stream of questions. Most of which were simply repeating what another child had already asked.

Sesshoumaru answered them the best he could before realizing that seemed to cause them to ask even more questions and hoping to find a way to stop them, without having to upset the children, he glanced over their heads to Kagome. Seeing she had his attention, Kagome bowed as respectfully as she could before smirking at him for his current predicament. She would come to his aid soon enough, but for now she was enjoying the fact that she wasn't the one being bombarded.

Finally after a few minutes had passed and Sesshoumaru had turned silently annoyed golden eyes to her, Kagome chuckled at his expense before calling out, "Alright kids, say goodnight. You have already been up way passed your bedtime and I am sure they would like to rest as well after their journey. They will still be here tomorrow and every day after, so do not worry and go get some sleep." Though there were a few mumbles of complaint, the children were mostly too tired to argue and after bidding everyone goodnight, they headed into the hut with Jaken following.

For a moment, Kagome wondered if he thought she was including him in that, but soon decided that since he had spent so much time with the children he was probably exhausted as well. Either that or he was trying to give them all some privacy. Nodding goodbye to their alphas, Sango and Kikyou led their spouses back to their huts, leaving them the entire yard to themselves. Giving him a bright smile, Kagome gestured for him to take a seat beside the fire before turning to build it back up.

As Sesshoumaru watched her work, he pointed out, "I noticed that you did not greet me in the same fashion as the others. Was there any reason you welcomed your mate home from war with only a bow?" Startled by the question, Kagome glanced over her shoulder and the sight she saw caused her to giggle. Though it was barely visible, and probably only someone who knew him as well as she did would even be able to see it, there was a look of disappointment in his golden eyes.

Making her way over to him, Kagome knelt down before him and cupped his cheek with her hand as she explained, "I figured you would not appreciate public displays of affection. Plus it's not like it was really possible considering you were surrounded by children." To prove her assurances, especially now that they were alone, Kagome leaned over and kissed him so passionately that it put all others to shame. Glancing down as her cheeks turned rosy, a clear sign she was still a bit embarrassed to say such a thing, she whispered, "I am ready to finish our mating."

"It is not possible at this moment, you are currently fertile," Sesshoumaru explained to her after discreetly sniffing the air, causing Kagome to blush even redder. Wanting to spare herself from further embarrassment and to give herself a chance to return to her normal color, Kagome stood and turned back to the fire once more; beginning to poke at it aimlessly.

"Oh..well that's a good point. The last thing we need right now is for another one of our pack to be pregnant; two at the same time is bad enough," she joked, laughing nervously. "And we wouldn't want to get pregnant right away anyways," she continued and over the crackling fire, she almost missed the single word he had spoken to her. Sure she had misheard him, Kagome turned back to find his eyes not on her but staring aimlessly out into the surrounding forest.

His refusal to look at her was a clear sign, to her anyways, that she had in fact heard him correctly. Purposefully stepping into his line of sight, she repeated, "Ever? Did you seriously just tell me that you don't 'ever' want me to get pregnant?" Seeing he refused to reply to her question, Kagome knew she had her answer. "Are you really that much of an asshole?" she demanded in a loud whisper, startling the demon lord who turned angry eyes to her.

Not caring that being insulted was the easiest way to piss him off, she continued, "Would you really deny me the right to have children, the honor of baring your children, simply because they would be half-demons? Do I really mean so little to you that even I wasn't able to help you get passed this stupid prejudice? Look around you Sesshoumaru, you are the alpha male of our pack, a pack full of demons and humans. That already has one half-demon and will soon have a quarter-demon.

"We are your family, I am your mate. Do you really see so little of all of us? Do you truly believe that I am not worthy of being the mother of your children simply because I am human?" Hearing no response from him, Kagome's eyes searched his for the answers she sought, but found nothing but annoyance and a tinge of red from anger. Blinking away her heated tears, Kagome practically growled, "You're still him. Even after everything we have been though, you are still the asshole you were the first time I met you.

"You know Sesshoumaru, no matter what you have done in the past, I have never been as disappointed in you as I am now. You are not the wise and powerful demon that I fell in love with. You are sad and pathetic." Sesshoumaru's response was instantaneous as he jumped to his feet and growled at her as his eyes turned a darker red and began to glow. "No!" Kagome screamed as she slapped him across the face as hard as she could.

"You don't get to be angry Sesshoumaru! I am angry! I am the one who gets to be pissed off! You can just go to hell!" Kagome screamed at him, doing her best to ignore her throbbing hand, as she turned and stomped out of the clearing. Startled by both her words and actions, Sesshoumaru simply stood there staring after her with red eyes. As furious as he was at that moment, he never worried about her safety. No matter how much he might have lost himself to his most basic instincts, his aura embedded in her own would protect her.

* * *

Having heard their argument and been shooed out of their hut by his mate, Inuyasha followed the scent of Kagome's tears out into the forest. Between the overpowering smell of her sorrow and the sound of her crying, it was not hard to track her to a toppled tree a mile or so away from the village. The moment she noticed his presence, she began to cry even harder. Not sure what else he could do for his best friend, Inuyasha sat down beside her on the tree and wrapped his arm around her.

"It's not fair," Kagome complained as she rested her head against his shoulders, neither of them caring that her tears were beginning to soak his sleeve. "I thought he had gotten over this stupid useless view of his, I mean he fell in love with me right? He can't still hate humans so much if he's willing to mate a human and be an alpha for a mixed pack right? Everything was supposed to go our way now, you guys are home; we're all together again.

"And instead I find out my mate still doesn't think I'm worth much." Crying into his shoulder, Kagome almost missed his whispered apology, but instantly understanding what it was for, she sat up straight and shook her head vigorously. "No, Inuyasha, this is not your fault. Don't you dare believe a damn thing that jerk says. You're being a half-demon is not responsible for our problems, he is. Sesshoumaru is the one at fault, the only one.

"No matter how he views half-demons, or even humans for that matter, he knew I was a human when we mated. And if he knew even the slightest bit about me, he knew I would want children. He is the one who chose not to say anything until now. He knew it would cause problems and instead of talking to me or even trying to work though his issues, he waited until he no longer had a choice. Never- and I mean never Inuyasha- believe that you being a half-demon is a bad thing. I don't care what Sesshoumaru or what even the rest of the world might think, you are perfect just the way you are."

Touched by his friend's passionate words, Inuyasha couldn't help but smile as he pulled her tighter against his chest and rested his chin on the top of her head. "What are you going to do now, imouto-chan?" Inuyasha questioned as he glanced up toward what little of the night sky he could see through the tree tops.

"I do not know, Inuyasha, but I can not be with someone who refuses to give me children because he's prejudice against them, against me. I feel like everything up until now has just been a lie. As though he was leading a double life for some unknown reason and nothing was real. I can not continue to live like that. It hurts too much."

"I wish there was something I could do to help you, but I can only give you one small piece of advice. Think carefully before you make any decision. As long as you two stay mated, you always have the chance of being able to change his mind in the future. But if you end the mating, you will lose him completely, forever. Having his mating dissolved would be far too great of an embarrassment for Sesshoumaru to ever start over with you."

* * *

Careful to make sure her guardian was fast asleep-exhausted from spending the entire day chasing after a bunch of children-Rin silently poked her head through the doorway as Inuyasha left the camp and headed out into the forest. Figuring he was going after Kagome, whom she had overheard a few minutes before, Rin turned her attention to her lord and found him bent over with his face in his hands.

Making sure not to make any noise, she began making her way over toward him, stopping behind him just in time to hear him whisper, "If only you could understand, Kagome. I can not make the same mistake as my father." Shaking her head, Rin stepped up next to him and placed her hand on his shoulder, drawing his attention to her. Judging by the surprised look that flashed through his eyes, he had not noticed her approach before then.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, forgive me for saying so, but you are wrong. What he did was not a mistake and it is already too late for you regardless. You have already followed in your father's footsteps by falling in love with a human. Falling in love is never something you should be ashamed of, but proud of. Now I do not claim to know how it works with demons, but for us humans at least, falling in love makes us strong. And strength by definition can not be a weakness; or so youbo-san says.

"With all due respect, my lord-my father-," Rin added, her voice softening, "it is not your honor that you risk here as you seem to think, but your pride. You have spoken against your father's choice for so long and changing your opinion now would mean you were wrong then. Someone as perfect as my lord can not bare to be wrong. But is your pride truly worth the cost? You must ask yourself, which is more important to you; your pride or your mate. To resolve this problem, you will have to let go of one of them.

"I shall follow you whatever choice you make, but I beg you to make the right one. I do not want to lose my mother for a second time in my short life." Knowing the tears threatening to fall would only further annoy her lord, Rin flashed him a halfhearted smile before turning and making her way back toward the hut. She had said everything she could, perhaps even more than she should have, and now it was up to him to make the next move.


	29. Chapter 28

AN: Well guys, this is the end of the road; the last two chapters will be posted together since the epilogue is so short. Now I know some of you were thinking it was ending in the middle of the story since there isn't another book after this one, but I hope you will come to the same conclusion I did while writing this. That this is the only way this story can end.

Now as I was getting ready to write the lemon I had promised, I realized this story was only rated M, which means nothing too detailed. Instead of upping the rating and making some unable to read the last two chapters, I'm going to put the lemon in a one-shot 'side story'. You can find it under my Dokuga profile titled Lemon Wedges (Chapter 1). It will be put up at the same time as these chapters so you won't have to wait for it. You will not miss any real storyline if you don't/can't read the lemon so don't worry.

I will update my profile as to what's coming up next and hope to see you all reading my next story. Either way, I would like to thank everyone who have taken the time to read this series and a special thanks for those that hung around waiting for me to get around to this story. Thank you all for your reviews and continued support.

Hairann

* * *

Chapter 28

Long after Inuyasha had left her to herself in the forest to work through her issues in peace, Kagome returned to their silent village without bothering to spare a glance at her mate who still sat beside the dying fire. Drawing in a deep breath, she added a few logs onto the fire before making her way into her hut, hands fisted at her side to keep her from slapping the silent demon again. Once had gotten her point across, a second time would only accomplish pissing him off completely and he would be too angry to seriously think things through.

Crossing the threshold into the hut, Kagome closed the door behind her and made a point of locking it loudly. He would be unable to come into their home without breaking the door down and she knew he would not risk waking the children and the others. No sense in their fight having more witnesses. And though it was not much, shutting him out physically as he had done to her emotionally, made Kagome feel as though she had some of the power. As though their fate wasn't completely up to him.

As she moved toward her doorway, Kagome noticed a large pair of yellow eyes glowing at her in the otherwise dark room. "I know you know what's going on, Jaken, but if you are going to just side with him, keep it to yourself. I am not wrong and I refuse to yield. Not to him and not to you. This is one of the battles that I have to fight, that I have to win. I have every right to have children with the man, or demon that I love. And if he truly returned my feelings, he would not deny me this. He would not still hate what I am."

Chuckling softly with a shake of his head, that went unnoticed by the startled priestess in the dark, Jaken silently made his way over toward her and reached up for her hand; the only sign of his movement his eyes growing closer to her. "Do not misunderstand, miko-san, I do not take my lord's side. For the first time in the two hundred years that I have served him, I believe he is wrong. Children, human or demonic, are the future we each seek to create in order for our legacy, our linage to continue.

"They are the only true way to know that when we die, a part of us will remain here and be remembered. My lord has his heir, full-blooded and strong, his linage is safe and I too thought that his older views had been abandoned when he mated with you. One does not mate with someone they do not wish to bear children with. But it would seem that we were both wrong, but on behalf of my lord I beg you to give him more time. My lord does love you, he is not the kind to be with another once he has chosen his mate, so you are the only woman, human or demon, that he will ever be with.

"Even if you dissolve the mating, as I am sure Inuyasha mentioned was possible when he chased after you, Lord Sesshoumaru will not mate another. Give him time to realize the error of his ways. My lord is strong and powerful, perhaps the greatest demon that has ever or will ever live, but it comes with a heavy price. His pride. He does not believe that someone such as himself could ever be wrong and it will take him a while to admit to himself and to you that he is. My lord will come around and you shall have the family you seek, you merely must give him time to understand that even he has faults."

Squeezing her hand in reassurance, Jaken turned and began to silently make his way back into his room, leaving Kagome alone with her thoughts in the dark. Smiling unseen after the small demon, Kagome turned and headed into her own room, barely able to make out the bodies of the children spread out across both of the futons in the room. Smiling once again, this time to herself, Kagome made her way into the room and after parting the curtains over the small solo window, she sat beneath it bathed in moonlight.

Taking a deep breath, Kagome rested her head back against the wall and stared up at the ceiling wondering how they were ever going to get out of the mess they were in now. As much as she wanted to believe Jaken's words of assurance that it would only take time, she was not as confident in Sesshoumaru's ability to change. Her misconception of that was what had gotten them into this mess in the first place; she was so sure he had already changed, that he already accepted all of who she was. She could not afford to be wrong again.

And as always, she had to place the welfare of her pack above all. They would not be safe if their alphas were at each others throats, which she knew they would be if the mating had to be dissolved. They would not be able to lead the pack together if she could not stand to be breathing the same air as him and she knew that was the only possible outcome if their relationship went sour as she feared it would. There was only one possible solution to their problem when it came to pass; one of them would have to leave for the good of the pack.

And Kagome already knew who it had to be. She had built this pack from the ground up, nurtured it into the strong force that it had become. She would do anything and everything to ensure their safety and happiness, including walking away. There was no greater force to protect them than her mate, his mere presence was enough to keep most demons from attacking in the first place. It was the one aspect she could never fill in his place and it was the most important. Her pack could not be happy if they were not safe to be so. She would do anything for the good of the pack, even saying goodbye to the only family she had left.

* * *

As the first rays of the sun began to shine through the small window and bathe Kagome in their warmth, she realized she had been up all night; her thoughts and worries preventing her from getting any rest. Shaking off the thoughts that had been haunting her all night and sure the others would be sleeping in with their mates, Kagome stood and began making her way back outside so she could get breakfast started. Though she was not looking for him, she quickly spotted Sesshoumaru still in his place by the fire where she had left him the night before.

Though he rarely slept as it was, one glance at him and she knew that he too hadn't even gotten any rest the night before. Ignoring the slight twinge in her heart at the thought of him suffering through the night as she had, Kagome squared her shoulder and began making her way toward the fire to rebuild the long cold unburnt logs. Tuning out the presence of the demon lord a mere foot away from her, Kagome set to work preparing breakfast; silently praying that the others would rise soon so she would have some distraction to keep her mind off of both him and the thoughts coursing through her mind.

But her prayers went unanswered as tense minutes ticked by slowly one after another without a single pack-mate stirring; even the demon behind her seemed obvious to both her presence and the war battling in her mind. Chewing on her bottom lip, Kagome fought to keep control of the tears threatening to spill from the hopelessness of it all and dug her fingernails into the palms of her hands to give her mind something to focus on. Unknown to her, her nails had cut deep enough to draw forth a drop of blood.

Startled by the scent of his mate's blood on the air, Sesshoumaru lept to his feet and reached his hand out to turn her around and inspect the damage when he stopped just short of touching her; memories of the night before returning to his mind. Clenching his fist and ignoring the way his own claws dug into his flesh and drew blood, Sesshoumaru retook his seat and looked away from the woman before him. A mere ten feet away, the pack's other adults, sans Jaken, glanced at each other from their places just outside of their huts before shaking their heads sadly and making their way toward the campfire.

"Just in time guys, breakfast is just about ready. Can you wake the children for me while I dish it up?" Kagome called over her shoulder; noticing their presence without having to look in the direction. Shrugging once more at their spouses, Kikyou and Sango turned and began making their way toward Kagome's hut as Inuyasha and Miroku took their places around the fire. Glancing back and forth between to the two silent alphas, Miroku nodded for Inuyasha to do something, say something to end the silence, but was merely met with a shrug from the half-demon.

Though neither really wanted to admit it, there was nothing that any of them could do; they had to work through this problem on their own. The only problem was that neither of them seemed inclined to try and work through the problem and ignoring each other was definitely not going to help. Not really sure what he was going to say to get the conversation going, Inuyasha opened his mouth, but was cut off as Kagome pushed a plate full of food into his hands; pointedly glaring at him to keep his mouth shut.

Knowing better than to get on her bad side when she was already in a horrible mood, Inuyasha simply shrugged his defeat to Miroku before beginning to stuff his face with the food he had been given. Rolling his violet eyes at his friend's cowardice, Miroku watched as the others joined them around the fire and nodded to his wife indicating their alpha, hoping she would notice the gray cloud that seemed to hover over her. Giving him a slight nod, Sango opened to mouth to speak to their alpha about an unrelated matter, just to get her talking, when she was prevented from doing so when said alpha began to speak.

"Good morning, Lady Kaede. What brings you all the way out here this early in the morning?" Kagome inquired as she turned toward the aging priestess and drew everyone's, accept for the children who were too busy eating to care, attention to her. "Have you eaten yet? There is plenty more if you wish to break your fast with us," Kagome offered as she gestured toward the remaining breakfast still simmering over the fire.

"Thank ye child, but I have already broken mine before coming here. I am afraid I do not bear ye good news this morning. With the return of the others, and I welcome ye back," she paused as she turned toward Inuyasha and Miroku with a polite bow, "thee villagers are becoming uneasy. Far more than they have been ere. I fear it wilt not be long ere they demand ye leave thee area. They believe that thee more demons there are around, thee more ye wilt attract."

Able to easily detect the remorse in her voice, Kagome smiled in appreciation to her mentor before reassuring her, "It is time we move on anyways, we all know this has been building for some time and our continued presence will soon endanger one side or the other. Assure the villagers that we will begin packing up our village and will leave as soon as the girls give birth and can safely be moved. And Lady Kaede, know that you are always welcome to go with us. We consider you to be a member of our pack."

"I appreciate ye offer child, but my place is here guiding them, just as thine is with them," Kaede insisted as she gestured toward the pack members around the camp fire. "Thee villagers are lost and misguided and as such, it is ever more reason for me to stay here. Perhaps one day they shalt learn thee truth as we all have, but only if I stay and continue to try. Good day, children," Kaede bid before turning and beginning to make her way back toward her village.

As the others turned their attention back to the plates before them, Souta grumbled under his breath, "I can't believe they want us to leave after everything you've done for them." Though he didn't mention her by name, it wasn't hard for Kagome to understand that he was referring to her. Smiling softly to him, Kagome knelt before her younger brother and placed her hand on the top of his head to get his attention. It work instantly as he glanced up at her confused; angry tears threatening to fall.

"Souta, do you know what are the two things that are always in the heart of every human in the world? What, that no matter our race or gender, is always the same? Always there?" In response he shook his head no and unseen by them, the others exchanged glances and quickly discovered that none of them had the answer. Wondering what it was themselves, they turned their attention back to the elder Higurashi sibling.

"Fear and love. And sometimes, we humans fear what we love, but we shouldn't hold it against them. They are frightened and the want to survive outweighs all other thoughts in the mind of humans. They wish to protect themselves and their children and no matter what history near us has already shown them, in their mind there is always the chance that times will not be as safe as they have been. I too want to hate them for their treatment after everything we have all gone through for them, but I understand them.

"Because you see for me, the most important thing in the world, is the safety of this pack, this family. Just as they would turn their backs on those that have protected them and risked danger to themselves on their behalf to keep their families safe, I would move heaven and earth to protect you. I would give up everything if only to keep you safe. I can risk my safety, give up my life in a heartbeat to save another, but never would I risk you or any other member of our pack. Family means being willing to do anything to keep it safe, even turning your back on your friends if you think they will endanger what you hold dear.

"Family means being willing to suffer an endless hell if only to give them one more day of life on this earth. I would walk through fire, give my life to keep you safe. They are merely trying to do the same and for that, I can not fault them. Who is to say I would not have done the exact same thing if the roles were reversed in order to protect you?" Kagome questioned rhetorically as she rested her head against his before taking a deep breath and rising to her feet once more. "And it was only a matter of time before we had to leave anyways, our pack is becoming too big to stay in this small of a village that has no real room to grow."

* * *

As Kagome watched the others eating, barely touching her own plate as her mind once again began to wander toward the future, she knew her plan to leave them in the hands of Sesshoumaru and walk away, for their own good if things could not be worked out, would have to wait. She would need to get them settled into their new home, get them situated before dropping the bomb of her leaving on them. The transition would be hard enough without adding unnecessary grief to them, especially since it would be right after the girls give birth.

But no matter if she had to wait a little longer, Kagome knew that it was the outcome that was fated to be. If Sesshoumaru hadn't learned the error of his ways by now, it was highly unlikely that he would do so in another three months. As she glanced around at each of them in turn, Kagome couldn't help but remember the day she met each of them and brought them into her life, her family. Inuyasha, pinned to the God Tree, his furry ears twitching in the wind and begging her to touch them if only for a moment.

His mind frozen in the moment he was betrayed by his first love, his greatest love. His pale skin untouched by the harsh rays of the sun or years of exposure to the elements. He was young and rough, a raw gem yet to be molded into the great man he had become. Coarse and unrefined, he knew nothing of true friendship or acceptance. He did not know what it felt like to fully embrace who and what he was, but she had changed that. Simply by loving him for all that he was, exactly as he was, Kagome had shown him that he was worth something to somebody. That life, that his life was worth living because he was loved.

He had become a brother to her even though she had once been in love with him, but when she thought about it now, Kagome felt as though she had simply misunderstood her own heart. She had loved him, loves him still and was even in love with the idea of having someone as great as him stand beside her as her equal, but now she no longer believed she was ever actually in love with Inuyasha himself. She simply needed to believe she was at the time in order to lead him down the road he was destined to take. A life as her brother.

Then there was Shippo, orphaned and alone; a fate brought about by her own hand. Witnessing his father's death had caused him to be swallowed by the thought of revenge on those responsible and it almost cost him his life. If not for the spirit of his father, he would have joined him and though he had never blamed her, Kagome knew that too would have been her fault. It was her desire to try and atone for what her actions had robbed him of that made her invite him to join their group. An orphaned demon boy had become the child she was not even aware she had been wanting; her lack of knowledge about demons unable to change what was meant to be.

Miroku had stumbled into her life not long after; a monk both pure and impure, proper and lecherous, wise and immature of the mind. Driven by the knowledge that the same fate that claimed both his father and grandfather would soon come calling for him, he sought to continue on his family line so that if he was unable to complete his family's legacy, then later generations might be able to. Never once stopping to think of what he would be subjecting his future child to, that he in turn would be forced to suffer the same doomed fate.

Never realizing that his child would in turn curse their own child if he too were unable to stop the evil they sought. Never once did he think of the pain and suffering he would inflict upon his own, only to save innocent strangers from the continued terrorizing of a half-demon that was never meant to be. Alone he would have failed, but with them, as one of them, he had been able to break the curse that befell his family two generations before and prevented his descendents from having to suffer the same fate he almost did.

Once the only son of a cursed father, born himself the only son of a curse father, he had become a brother, a husband, an uncle and soon he would become a father. From the young priest who desperately sought to sire an heir, knowing his time as short, to the wise and rooted man with his whole life still ahead of him just beyond the horizon. One he would share with his wife and child, his friends and family. One, only a few years ago, he never would have imagined having. One where he had a sister, had siblings when once he was an only child.

Bitter, abandoned and betrayed Sango had stormed into her life seeking revenge against one who had been falsely accused. Her father, the villagers she grew up with and fought beside slaughtered by the hands of her own brother as he was manipulated by the hand of evil. Willing to die beside him just to save his soul with nothing left tethering her to this world, she was saved just by meeting Kagome.

The desire to rid her brother of the evil influence and send them both to the afterlife changed to the desire to save them both. To live again after all that she had lost. To find love and hold it in the palm of her hand, to grow it in her womb. To have once more everything she had watched crumble before her; its foundation now stronger then ever before. To love as a sister, when once not long before she sought to die as one.

A son born to a man he had never known, untouched by pain or sorrow until the first time his sister had fallen into the old, condemned well upon their family's shrine. His mother ripped from him in a flash for reasons he could never hope to understand. Scared and alone, huddled in the very same well that had changed their lives forever hoping against all odds that it would somehow inform his sister of what had transpired and return her to her rightful time.

And when all was said and done, with nothing left to hold him in the time he was born, Souta crossed into a time long forgotten by the history books filled with demons and evil he could have never imagined. Never realized his sister faced off against every time she transported herself through the eras. It was here that he learned that he still had family; found in the one time strangers she had drawn together. Though orphaned, for if no other reason than the fact that their parents would not even be born for nearly another 500 years, he learned he was never without family, never without those that loved him.

No pain is greater than the thought of being betrayed by love, by the very one you sought to give up everything for and spend the rest of your life with. Being betrayed all because he saw the power you held as more important to him than you, the woman he claimed to love. Following him into death, your last thoughts of a love once thought as true, destroyed by his greed, would be enough to turn even the strongest of women to bitter, cold shells of their former selves.

Especially when said woman is brought back from the dead against her will and subjected to living within a body of clay; surviving only by consuming the souls of the departed. Souls she used to help to move on into the afterlife when their earthly bodies had passed on. Souls that constantly reminded her that a new woman held onto her own, a woman who was accomplishing everything she had failed at in life. A woman that reminded her with every breath, every step she took that she had not been good enough. Not as a priestess, not as a woman.

Who would give her one last chance after everything she had done, in life and in death, all for the sake of the man she had once thought betrayed her. The man she had been able to love in ways Kikyou had been unable to. A woman who was given everything she thought she herself had earned, deserved. The same woman who would embrace her as a sister and give the man they both loved to her just to make him happy. The woman she had once thought as a weak and useless excuse for a priestess who taught her not only how to be a true priestess, but how to be a woman as well.

None but those that are unfortunate enough to experience it could ever hope to understand what feels like to take the lives of others, of your own father, against your will. Never know what it is like to be moved by the will of another, treated as their puppet, alive only to cause pain and suffering to others. Unable to understand what it is like to be alive each day knowing there is no way you could ever hope to atone for the evil you have done with your own two hands, unable to die and spare future victims from the pain you will inflict upon them.

No one could ever possibly understand how your soul sighs in relief when your memory of the pain, of the torture you inflicted on others is erased. Your slate wiped clean by the power filling the jewel shard embedded in your neck, the one that once unnaturally saved your life. Saved, reborn by the power of one who does not even know she has done it. A young warrior who had once taken the life of his own sister, not only does he get her back, but Kohaku also discovers another in the process of being saved himself.

Scared and alone, orphaned and abandoned, forgotten by those whose lives she had been unable to touch. Bandits at the door, wolves on her heels. She runs and screams, but there is no one there to save her. No one there to love her. No one there to even know she existed. She is fated to fade away as though she had never even been there in the first place. Out of no where her savior in white appears, returning the breath of life to her cooling body. Saving her from a fate of dying cold and alone.

And through him Rin finds the family she was robbed of many years before. She finds brothers she can play with, chase around the yard as though they didn't have a care in the world. She found uncles to teach her how to be strong, to spoil her with their protection. Aunts willing to teach her what it meant to be a woman when the time came for her to grow up, to blossom as she was meant to do. She found a boy she could see herself loving all her life, marrying and growing old with, knowing he would forever be a rock for her to lean against. To count on, depend on.

She found a teacher wise and true, teaching her what it meant to be human, to be raised by a demon, to be a member of a pack. One willing to lay his life down to save her, even if he would never admit it out loud to her. A father to place her on his knee in comfort when she was awoken from a bad dream, caressing her hair to reassure her that everything was fine, that the demons that haunted her within her dreams would never harm her again. And she found what she had wanted most in this world; a mother to guide her, to love her, to teach her. A mother that would show her what it meant to be a daughter and one day to be a mother herself.

A boy caught in the middle of a battle of greed, desire to hold onto more than was meant to be yours. A mother willing to use him as a tool to entrap a demon lord, a grandfather willing to start a war to steal what was never his. A father he has known only as the demon that killed his mother. Unable to understand the difference between murder and self-defense. Unable to understand all that he was lacking until he met her. Met the woman who became his new mother, one that actually loved him as a son, not seeing him only as a tool.

He learned through her guidance at such a young age what his father had still yet to understand, that pack was pack, family was family. Whether you were a demon or a human or even a combination of the two, it was what was in your heart, what actions you committed, how you treated those that mattered to you, those that didn't, that made you who you were. That being the adopted son of a human mother that loved him was a far better fate than being the real son of a demon mother who didn't even know what love was.

All that remained was the demon lord himself, too wrapped up in outdated and incorrect ideas that his father had been weak to love a human to see what was right in front of him. He had once hated his half-brother for taking away his family, depriving him of his father, but through him he had met her and she had returned his family a hundred times over. No longer did he only have a half-brother he had never truly known, he had brothers and sisters, three beautiful children even if only one of them was his by blood and he had a mate that loved him more than anything.

He went from being alone to having a pack with over a dozen members who accepted him, faults and all, but yet he could no do the same. He could not let go of his pride and see what was right before him, a family that looked up to him as their alpha and depended on his leadership and guidance. A woman, that despite their rocky start, learned to love the man beneath the cold, unfeeling demon exterior. A woman that would do anything for him.

It was then, in that very moment that Kagome realized somethings she should have known all along. She was being selfish, putting her desires for children above the welfare of her pack; something she had sworn to never do. Kagome understood now. She could never leave them. Could never abandon them even to protect them, even if it meant that she had to remain beside a demon that could never truly love her. They had already lost everything, suffered through hellish pains no one should ever know, only to be found and saved by her; given a place to belong by her.

They were all orphans already, she would not cause them to be again. A sister should never abandon her brothers and sisters just as they are to become parents, just as a mother should never abandon her children just as they learned to depend on her. And an alpha should never, ever abandon her pack. No matter what, they had to come first. It was her job to make sure they were safe and happy, not to be herself. And she really would do anything for her mate, as much as thought of never having any children of her own killed her, the thought of losing him threatened to destroy her. She would be selfish after all for she loved him far too much to ever give him up.

* * *

Ignoring the startled looks from her friends when they noticed the tears before she had, Kagome wiped them away before giving them a reassuring smile. Though none of them bought it, they let the matter drop; mostly since Kagome stood and began to speak before they had a chance to. "Watch the children for me for a little while." Again before they had the chance to say a word, she turned her attention to Sesshoumaru and began speaking once more. "We need to talk."

Without waiting for an answer from him or the others, Kagome turned and began making her way toward the forest. Behind her, the rest of the pack turned their eyes on the remaining alpha, watching on baited breath as he stared after her in silence for a long moment before nodding, seemingly to himself, and following after her. Around the campfire, shrugs were exchanged instead of words before they watched him disappear into the forest as Kagome had done a minute before.

Without stopping or looking back to make sure she was being followed, Kagome made her way out toward the fallen log she had sat upon with Inuyasha the night before. As she stopped in the clearing, she drew in a couple of deep breaths, releasing them audibly as she tried to calm down her nerves. She knew she shouldn't be so rattled since she had already made her decisions, but her heart didn't seem to agree with her mind. As it wasn't the first time it had happened, Kagome paid it no attention as she felt a presence appear behind her.

Squaring her shoulders, Kagome nodded to herself and turned to face the demon lord that still refused to meet her eyes. Refusing to allow it to get to her or stop her from saying what needed to be said, she began, "I hate you." Holding up her hand to silence him as he went to interrupt her, finally turning his golden eyes on her, she continued, "Right now I hate you so much. What you are doing hurts me, Sesshoumaru. I feel like every time I even look at you, you plunge the knife further into my heart.

"After everything, everything we have been through, everything I thought we meant to each other, you still can not completely accept me. You are the one that is wrong, Sesshoumaru and I pray that one day you will understand that. But as much as I hate you right now, I still love you. I love you far too much to let go. So much that I am willing to sacrifice whatever I have to, to keep you beside me. You have already given me two beautiful children and I suppose that the three children we were blessed with together will have to be enough.

"I will have to be happy with them, because I can not lose you, I refuse to. Just once, I wanted things to be about me. To be able to put my desires first, but I suppose that is just the price of being alpha. It is my job to keep the members of our pack happy, even the other alpha. And if I can't have both, then I choose you. I will regret never being able to give birth to our children, but I would wither and die without you."

Stopping only long enough to angerly wipe the hot tears off of her cheeks, before pressing on, "But for now, you have to stay away from me Sesshoumaru. I am far too angry to be around you and just looking at you hurts too much." Ignoring the newer round of tears coursing their way down her cheeks, Kagome moved passed him, heading back toward their village and pack members that were no doubt waiting for their return.

Before she could get more than a foot away, strong arms wrapped around her waist; holding her tightly against his chest, his heart pounding against her back. Instead of resisting his hold, Kagome stood frozen, fighting against the urge to break down and sob in his arms. Taking in a shuttering breath of his own, Sesshoumaru leaned down and pressed his lips against the shell of her ear as he held on tighter to her; both to make sure she couldn't escape and to keep himself standing.

"Your sacrifice is not necessary, my mate. A very wise woman has already shown me the fool I am, though it has taken your words to make me realize that. I am sorry my love, I never meant to cause you harm. Rest assured that I know now what I refused to believe before, my pride is not worth losing you. None but you, human and all, could ever be woman enough to be my mate, to earn my love. To bear my children. Be mine, Kagome; completely," he pleaded before resting his head against her shoulder as the strength he had a moment before faded away.

Unable to answer him with words, Kagome turned around in his arms that had loosened around her and wrapping her own around his neck, she stood on her tip toes and pressed her lips against his. Returning the kiss with even more passion than she had started it with, Sesshoumaru tightened his arms around her waist once more as he held onto her for dear life.

(See side story for lemon)

Hand in hand the two made their way back into the clearing that house their little village and were instantly met with the cat calls coming from Inuyasha, as the other adult members of the pack stare at him in confusion. The children, off playing nearby with Jaken, turned to stare at him for a moment before shrugging to each other and going back to what they had been doing before they were interrupted. Just as Kagome was about ready to ask him to settle down, what was going on dawned on Miroku who joined in with the cheering.

Easy to understand what would cause Miroku to react the way he was, Kikyou and Sango blushed at each other before turning toward the tomato that used to be known as Kagome. Taking pity on their sister after a few moments of watching her squirm, they both smacked their husbands' arms to get their attention and quickly shut them up with a pointed glare. With a huff, Inuyasha pouted for a moment as his half-brother and mate took their seats, but realizing he could taunt her silently and smirked knowingly at his little sister.

Rolling her eyes at him, Kagome decided it would be best, especially if she wanted to stop being so red soon, to just ignore his antics and instead rested her head on her mate's shoulder. Seeing his taunting was no longer working, Inuyasha huffed once again before shrugging to no one in particular. "Well imouto-chan, what's the plan? Where do we go from here?"

"I actually have the perfect idea for that and I thought Sesshoumaru and I could start searching for the perfect location during the next few months while you two are here to take care of your wives. We'll start gathering supplies now and as soon as we find the perfect spot, we can take turns beginning to build the new village. The main thing though is that we will need to find a place that is far enough away from any other villages to prevent this from happening again.

"And I don't want the village to just be for our family, but also for others like us. I want to build a haven, somewhere that both demons and humans could live in peace as neighbors. Some place where anyone who believes the two can live in peace would be welcome. Somewhere protected from those that disagree and that would have room to grow with us and with others. Some where that generations from now our descendents can still live safely. I want to build our pack's ancestral home."


	30. Epilogue

Epilogue

"Dear Aunt Sakura and Ayumi,

If you are reading this letter, you have found the book I left for you in the well and have no doubt read a lot about my life in the past. Though our story does not end here and in fact goes on for a great many more years, the rest can be read later. There is something you must understand before you go any further, or the ending will not make any sense. As I was writing on the page before this letter, we built a safe haven for humans and demons upon Sesshoumaru's land.

We created a place where not only my pack, but any human or demon that wished to live in peace with each other, could do so. Between my pack and others that showed up over the years, we were able to protect the village, safeguarding it from any who wished to harm us simply because of who we kept friendships with. Any with ill intentions couldn't even find the village, let alone step foot inside it. It is a beautiful place with a crystal clear river running through one side and a mountain guarding the others.

It was in this village of ours that we realized the true extent of Kikyou's wish upon the jewel. They eventually told me what she wished for and her exact words were, "I wish that Kagome is able to find the happiness she has helped others to find." A seemingly harmless, selfless wish, and for the most part it was, it simply wasn't as obvious as it first seemed. Apparently what the wish did, was it granted my greatest wish.

The wish that would make me the happiest I could be. It kept our pack together forever. And I don't mean that figuratively. We stopped aging, stopped growing old, stopped being mortal. Though the years taught us that we could still be injured or become sick, we seemed to no longer have to worry about dying of old age. Even the children stopped aging, once they reached maturity thankfully. I think Souta would have killed me if he was stuck as a young teenager forever.

For as long as I can remember, I was always sacrificing my happiness and what I wanted in the name of the pack, to keep my family safe and happy. And I would do it again in a heart beat. It is simply nice to know that everything I have done, given up or lost has been rewarded. And I am thankful every day that I do not have to say goodbye to the others. I am not sure I could handle it after everything we have been through.

But all of this, and so much more, you can read later in the book. Our journey didn't end here, in fact, it was just beginning. There were many more battles fought and friends met, weddings and births. And though it all, our family continued to grow. Alphas from other packs, such as Kouga, joined and followed our lead. Something that was never done in dog or wolf clans. Our pack became so large you could fill a forest with the family trees. And my mate stood by my side, and allowed me to stay beside his, for 500 amazing years."

Though the letter didn't quite end there, Sakura paused in her reading as the written words began to sink in. Glancing up at the young woman, who was currently reading over her shoulder, she waited until the realization dawned in her eyes as well before grinning and dropping the letter back onto the table. Pushing her chair out from behind her, not caring about the loud noise it made or that it was probably leaving scratches, Sakura rushed from the kitchen with Ayumi hot on her heels.

Though she didn't know how, or really care at that moment, Sakura knew her niece and nephew had come back. After all these years, Kagome and Souta were home.

The End!


End file.
